Phoenix

by Jessica Wayne

  Dakota glanced around the crowd, letting the chief’s words fade into background noise, when his eyes landed on Mitch. He was sitting off to the right side, about two rows behind Dakota’s mom. Their gazes locked, and Mitch smiled.

  Dakota’s muscles went rigid. Keep smiling, asshole. I’m coming for you.

  The rest of the speech went by quickly, but Dakota didn’t notice it. His sole focus was on getting through it without jumping from his seat and killing Ana’s father.

  He stood when his name was called and made his way to the stage to receive a handshake from the Chief of Police, then stood on stage with the rest of the graduates.

  They were dismissed with a lot of cheering, but Dakota quickly stepped down to seek out his mother in the crowd.

  She stood about ten feet away talking to none other than Mitch Carter.

  “What the fuck do you want?” he asked once he reached them.

  “Dakota,” his mother warned.

  “No.” He glared at Mitch. “I want to know what the fuck you’re doing here.”

  “I heard you were graduating and, naturally, I wanted to come offer my support.”

  “You and I both know that just isn’t fucking true.”

  “You sure are in a mood for someone who just became a cop.” The ‘p’ on the end of cop popped, and Mitch tucked his hands into his pockets. “Not very becoming for a boy in blue, wouldn’t you say?”

  Dakota grinned. “I’d say you’d better breathe fresh air while you can.”

  “That a threat?”

  “It’s a promise. Come on, Mom.” Dakota gripped her hand and pulled her back through the crowd toward the parking lot.

  “Thanks for the rescue,” she said once they had climbed into the car.

  “Yeah.” Adrenaline pumped like lava through his veins, and his muscles tensed, geared for a fight. “I’m gonna drop you off and head to the gym.”

  “You don’t want to grab some dinner?”

  “Maybe later. I need to work off some steam.”

  “Oh, all right.” His mom offered a small smile as they pulled out of the lot.

  Dakota nursed a glass of whiskey at the bar later that night. He’d spend nearly four hours kicking the shit out of a heavy bag and had sparred with one of the trainers. His body was sore, sweaty, and he was exhausted, but at least the anger from earlier had nearly dissipated. The bar was fairly empty tonight since it was mainly cops who frequented the establishment, and most of them were at a private graduation party downtown.

  “Hey.”

  He looked over as an older man approached him at the bar.

  “This seat taken?” he asked as he motioned to the barstool beside Dakota.

  Dakota shook his head and the man sat.

  “I’m Silvan.” He held his hand out, and Dakota shook it.

  “Dakota.”

  “Good to meet you. What are you having?” He gestured to the glass, and Dakota took a drink.

  “Whiskey.”

  He raised his hand to signal Jax, the bartender. “Two whiskeys, please.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” the man answered.

  His hair was dark, but there was a large scattering of grey near his temples slowly working its way through the rest of his hair. His beard was trimmed short, but his blue eyes were what caught Dakota’s attention.

  They were the same shade as Ana’s, and Dakota forced himself to look away.

  “Long day?” Silvan asked.

  Dakota nodded. “Graduated from the Police Academy this afternoon.” He raised his glass in salute.

  “That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

  Dakota smiled. “Thanks.”

  The man narrowed his gaze. “You don’t seem very happy about it.”

  “It wasn’t my first choice of career, but you do what you’ve gotta do.”

  “Oh?” Silvan raised an eyebrow. “There a story there?”

  Dakota didn’t make it a habit of sharing his personal life with strangers, but something about Silvan had him feeling like the man was an old friend, rather than a stranger who happened to sit next to him at a bar.

  Before he knew it, he’d damn near told the man his entire life’s story.

  “It sounds to me like your father would be very proud of you.”

  “Yeah.” Dakota took a drink, grateful the alcohol had begun dulling the ache in his heart.

  “I have a daughter,” Silvan said with a smile. “She’s about your age and as independent as they come. I think you’d like her.”

  “I appreciate that, but if you’re looking to set us up, I have to warn ya… I’m not big on dating.”

  Silvan laughed. “I don’t think she is at the moment either, so don’t worry about that. I only meant that I can understand how your father was feeling. Seeing a plan laid out for your child—especially when it can be a dangerous one—does not help us sleep at night, and there may be days where we don’t handle the information well.”

  Dakota nodded absently.

  “Just an old man’s opinion.” He smiled and patted Dakota on the back. “I need to get home. Early morning.” Silvan tossed some bills on the counter. “See you around.”

  “Thanks, Silvan.”

  “Always happy to lend an ear.”

  Dakota watched him leave, then finished his own glass before stepping out into the night air. Stars twinkled above him where they managed to sneak through clouds, and Dakota turned his face up to the sky.

  Where was Ana right now? Was she happy? Was she even alive? Three questions he asked himself almost daily. But when he looked up at the stars, he had to hope that wherever she was, she was looking at them too, that maybe she really was only just out of reach.

  He had to believe that, because each and every new day was a painful reminder that his world was a little less bright without her.

  Part II

  “I no longer feared the darkness once I knew the phoenix in me would rise from the ashes.” — William C. Hannan

  28

  Terrenia: Five years later

  Anastasia

  Anastasia examined herself in the mirror. Her sword was sheathed across her back, and three small knives were tucked into the strap of leather at her waist. Her dark hair fell in loose curls to her hips. She quickly braided it back with the precision of someone who’d done so every day for years.

  No trace remained of the young woman who arrived in Terrenia all those years ago. Her once soft body was now sleek and strong, and judging by the Brute body count she’d racked up only in the last few years, her training had paid off. She could be deadly if she needed to be.

  “Ready, girl?” she asked Kaley as she headed for the door.

  “Morning, Anastasia.” Her father sat at the table, writing in a notebook.

  “Good morning.” She grabbed a slice of bread from the counter and sat next to him.

  “What are your plans for today?” he asked as he continued writing.

  “I am going to head out with Tony in a little bit; we are going to visit the last standing village that’s within a ten-mile radius. We’re hoping we can get them to vacate and relocate here, where they will be safe. There’s power in numbers and all that.”

  “That would be good.”

  She nodded in agreement. The last two villages they had offered to help had refused to move, and now they were nothing but a smoldering pile of ash. She hoped this one would be different. Five years and they were still playing defense.

  “Be safe,” he added as he stood to walk into the kitchen. “Take Kaley with you.”

  “I always do.” She smiled and headed for the door.

  She met up with Tony and Shane on the outskirts of the village. Tony had grabbed her horse, Revenue, from the village’s stable for her, and she climbed onto his back with ease. “Hey, Anastasia,” Shane said.

  “Hi.” She smiled awkwardly at him.

  Shane was tall, standing at least a foot above Anastasia, and his dark hair fell to h
is shoulders. Muscular and handsome, he was also a fantastic Fighter, and had all the qualities Anastasia should want in a potential mate. But, all these years later, she still only had room enough in her heart for Dakota Parker.

  She’d tried, hadn’t she? They’d seen each other for nearly a year after rescuing the Pilke village. She’d tried so hard to get Dakota out of her head and move on like she was sure he would have, but to both hers and Shane’s disappointment, she’d never been able to.

  Now, here they were, four years after their split, and he still wouldn’t move on and find someone else.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “Good, just busy training.”

  Shane nodded. “Not that you need much more. You could kick any of our asses with your eyes closed.”

  “Let’s head out,” Tony said, ending their awkward conversation, and they nudged their animals to begin walking through the trees. “Keep your eyes peeled.”

  Grateful for the distance from Shane, Anastasia took lead, with Tony following and Shane behind him.

  Their small search party was meant only to warn the village, not scare them into thinking an attack was on its way. Even though Anastasia was pretty damn sure it was.

  They rode easily for the first three miles until smoke appeared, billowing from the trees.

  “We’re too late!” Anastasia called, pushing her horse into a gallop. Kaley kept up easily, and within minutes, they emerged into the village. The second they were in the clearing, Anastasia leapt from her horse.

  The entire town was in ruins, and Anastasia cried out. Houses and other buildings were burned to the ground. Debris lay strewn across the dirt, and she nudged a small, burnt toy with her boot. Anastasia covered her mouth with her hands, horrified at the carnage.

  “This devastation is fresh. Look for survivors, but keep watch. The monsters that did this may not be far off.” Tony leapt off his horse and began searching the debris, lifting the large pieces to search beneath them for any remaining villagers.

  Anastasia and Shane did the same, leaving their animals at the entrance to the village. She headed toward a small line of houses that were badly burned and searched beneath the debris, trying her best to ignore the bodies littering the ground.

  What did the Brutes have to gain from doing this? Did they just enjoy the slaughter? Where were they taking the survivors?

  Anastasia heard coughing and spun in the direction of the sound. “Over here!” she yelled to Tony and Shane as she raced toward the small, half-burned cottage the noise had come from.

  A woman lay in the center of the ruined house. “Help me,” she choked out. Soot painted her pale skin a deep shade of gray, and blood dripped from a gash in the center of her forehead. Anastasia reached forward and helped her to her feet.

  “Unbelievable,” Tony muttered.

  “What?” the woman asked.

  Her tone was curt, and something in her eyes had Anastasia’s gut wrenching. Why was she left behind? Had the beasts missed her? Or was it to send a message?

  “You are the only person known to have survived one of these raids. You should consider yourself very lucky, miss,” Tony answered.

  “Ophelia. My name’s Ophelia. I fear I am very dizzy.” Her knees buckled, and she fell forward toward Shane, who caught her just before she hit the ground.

  “Oops, I’m sorry,” she said, embarrassed, and then used his arm to pull herself back up.

  “Shane, you stay here with Ophelia. Anastasia, you and I need to keep looking, make sure we don’t leave anyone else behind.”

  Sitting in the living area of the training cottage, the Fighters, Gregory, and Anastasia waited for Ophelia to emerge after giving her some time to clean herself up. As the only survivor, they had many questions for the woman.

  When Ophelia entered the room, their conversation died down slowly as she joined their circle.

  “Were you able to see anything from where you were hiding?” Gregory asked.

  “No, I’m so sorry. It was pitch-black in my cellar. I could only hear.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “The screams were awful.” Ophelia covered her face with her hands, and Shane reached over to put his arm around her.

  Anastasia watched the easy way he comforted the woman, thankful that someone close to their age had arrived in Terrenia—maybe she would help Shane get over Anastasia. It was an inappropriate thought at a time like this, but she wanted Shane to be happy. Maybe Ophelia could give him the love Anastasia was unable to give.

  Her blonde hair was loose around her face, which was badly bruised. When she looked back up at Gregory, her light blue eyes shone with tears.

  “It’s okay, Ophelia,” Gregory assured her. “Just tell us what happened, please, from the top.”

  “I was sitting inside my cottage when I heard the screaming. I climbed down into my cellar and hid. I'm sorry, but that’s all I know. I didn’t see anything. By the time I tried to climb out, it was all—” Her voice cracked on a sob, and she hid her face in her hands.

  “Where did you get the bruises on your face?” Anastasia asked.

  The woman looked up at her, and for an instant, Anastasia could have sworn she’d glared at her.

  The steely gaze turned somber so quickly though, that Anastasia could have sworn she’d imagined it. “I was seeing a man recently, and he—” She sighed. “He would sometimes be rough with me.” Her voice broke, and the tears returned. “I’m so sorry.”

  “That’s quite all right.” Gregory stood and motioned for Tony and Anastasia to step outside with him.

  “What is it?” Tony asked as they gathered on the porch.

  “I'm not sure.” Gregory sighed. “But there’s something off here. It could be nothing, but I want you both to keep an eye on her just in case.”

  “What do you think it is?” Tony didn’t sound surprised.

  “I'm not sure, just a feeling that I have, and I’ve lived long enough to know that I shouldn’t brush off a feeling this strong.”

  Anastasia and Tony both nodded. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely trusting of their guest, either.

  “We need to figure something out. If the Brutes keep tearing apart villages like this, we won’t have anyone left to fight this war.” Anastasia turned to face the trees that surrounded her village. Even from where she stood, she heard the laughter of those she had grown to know as her family. “We cannot let those monsters come here.”

  “We won’t,” said Tony. “We will protect our people, Anastasia.”

  “Yes, we will,” Gregory agreed.

  Their words did little to soothe the icy tendrils of fear that bloomed in her soul. She feared for those she loved and for the life she made here.

  Shane and Ophelia walked out, and they turned to face them.

  “I'm going to take Ophelia into town and get her some food,” Shane said. “Where should we set her up for the night?”

  “Talk to Leigh. See if she is up for some company. We can look for a more permanent residence tomorrow.”

  Leigh, Maximus’s mother, had become the village’s proverbial mother hen since Maximus disappeared. She was one of the sweetest women Anastasia had ever known, and it was an increasing mystery as to how she had raised such a monster of a son.

  Leigh no longer spoke of Maximus, and had written him off as a family member, but Anastasia knew the poor woman was lonely and that her heart was broken. You couldn’t miss the pain reflected within her pale blue eyes.

  Shane and Ophelia headed toward the village, but just before they disappeared from view, Ophelia turned and smiled slightly at Anastasia.

  Anastasia’s stomach clenched, and she tilted her head. Something was off, and she would definitely keep an eye on Ophelia.

  29

  Anastasia

  Just before dusk, Anastasia and Kaley walked the perimeter of the fence, looking for any damage to the village’s main line of protection. This was their nightly routine, even if the day had been uneventful.

&
nbsp; She and Tony had done what they could to make sure there were no Brute camps nearby, but over the last few years, she’d learned you could never be too prepared. Not when it came to the safety of them all.

  “Hey, Anastasia! Wait up!”

  She smiled when she heard Brady’s voice. “Hey, Brady. What are you doing out here this late?” A curfew had been put in place for the villagers, and with darkness approaching, it would begin soon.

  “Just came to keep you and my favorite girl here company.” He smiled and reached down to pet Kaley. “I heard you found a survivor in one of the nearby villages, that true?”

  “Yes, her name is Ophelia. Tony, Shane, and I found her this morning.”

  “That’s insane.”

  He had grown up so fast. Now that he’d turned eighteen, Brady had begun training with Tony to become a Fighter—something his mother was not overly fond of.

  Brady’s father had died in the war with the Brutes. The idea of losing her son as well…

  Brady was strong, and already had most of the girls his age following him around. He was honest and kind, and Anastasia was grateful she could call him her friend.

  “I wonder why they left her alive.”

  “Her story is that when the attack began, she climbed down and hid in the cellar below her house.”

  Brady’s eyes narrowed as he watched Anastasia. “Her story? It sounds like you don’t believe her.”

  Anastasia shrugged. “Not necessarily, I just don’t think we have all the facts. Why would they leave her alive? How was it that her cellar was the only one they didn’t thoroughly check? We’ve found evidence of them ripping doors off and searching cellars before, so why not now?”

  “Was it bad?” Her face must’ve reflected the horror of the day because he shook his head. “Never mind. Maybe they didn’t have time.” Brady reached to run a hand down Kaley’s long back. She relaxed into him and began to purr.