Phoenix

by Jessica Wayne

  “Damn.” He took a long drink from his cup. “I'm going to miss talking to him.”

  “To Gregory.” She held out her cup, and Dakota clinked his against hers.

  “To Gregory Silvan.”

  They sipped their liquor in silence, listening to the crackling embers in the dying fire.

  Once they finished their drinks, Anastasia led Dakota back down toward the village. As they walked, she absorbed the sounds of the insects and animals moving through the trees in the night air.

  All was calm in Terrenia—for now.

  There was no telling what would happen tomorrow, or the next day for that matter. Not while Vincent still walked any of the worlds.

  As they neared the village, Anastasia heard the faint sound of someone strumming a guitar and wondered who was playing tonight. Her thoughts were interrupted when Kaley padded over. Anastasia stifled a laugh when Dakota jolted. He glared at her, and she shrugged.

  “That is a big ass cat,” he said defensively.

  “She’s not even fully grown yet.” Anastasia rubbed the feline’s soft black fur as they walked.

  “Seriously?”

  “My dad said they can get to about seven feet if they stand on their feet.”

  “Fuck,” he said, and Anastasia grinned again.

  “Don’t be afraid; I’ll protect you.” She smiled up at him, and his blue eyes held her own again. The corner of his mouth was turned up in a knowing smile, and he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

  Her legs went weak, and he tightened his arm around her waist.

  Someone cleared their throat, and Anastasia pulled back.

  “Selena sent me to find you,” Shane said tightly, his eyes boring into Dakota’s.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  He stared at Dakota for a few more seconds, and then turned slowly to her. “She wants to know what your next move is.” Shane spun and marched back toward the village.

  “Well that was awkward,” Dakota murmured.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “What the hell is his deal?”

  “Well,” Anastasia began, “we… saw each other for a while.”

  Dakota’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”

  Anastasia nodded. “I was trying to move on.”

  “Move on?”

  “From you,” she said, ripping the Band-Aid off. No sense in keeping secrets. “I knew you probably had a girlfriend—or five—and I was tired of pining for someone I may never see again.”

  “Gotcha,” he said as he resumed walking back down the path.

  “Gotcha?”

  Dakota let out a laugh. “Look, Ana.” He stopped and turned to face her. “Am I thrilled that you dated Fighter boy over there? Hell no, but we were apart for five years. I was hardly celibate.” His words were logical, but they sent a small pang through her heart. Dakota brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “The past doesn’t matter right now. Not when we’ve finally got another chance.” He stepped closer to her, and kissed the top of her head. “So don’t let it get in the way.”

  Anastasia offered him a smile. “Okay.”

  They entered the clearing, and Anastasia smiled. Nearly the entire village had gathered in its center to hear Andrew plucking away at a guitar. Children and couples danced around the fire pit, laughing and smiling as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  She spotted Elizabeth and Tony standing on the front porch of the medical cottage, Tony leaning down to say something to her and Elizabeth laughing heartily. It was nice, this vision of peace.

  But her gut told her it wasn’t going to last long.

  They headed for Selena’s house, where Shane waited on the porch steps. His jaw was tight, his mouth set in a humorless line. He opened the door for her, and she turned to Dakota.

  “I’ll be right in,” she said.

  He raised an eyebrow and looked at Shane before nodding and stepping inside.

  The door shut, and Shane crossed his muscular arms over his chest.

  “Want to tell me why you’re acting like an ass?” Anastasia snapped.

  He let out a breath. “Oh, I don’t know, Ana. How about the fact that he shows up and now all of a sudden his opinion matters when it comes to Terrenian business.”

  “Dakota is smart, Shane. He can help us.”

  Shane rolled his eyes.

  “Look, I get that you’re pissed off because we didn’t work out. But that was four years ago, Shane. Don’t you think it might be time to move the hell on? If you remember, I told you when we split that the feelings I still had for Dakota were the reason why. I was honest with you about it, and how do you repay me? By being an ass to us both when I come home.”

  “I never thought you’d see him again!”

  She glared at him. “So you believed I would, what, get over him eventually and get back with you?”

  Shane looked away angrily, then back at her. “I had hoped so.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but I just don’t see you as anything but a friend.” She headed into the cabin, and shut the door behind her.

  Dakota and Selena stood talking in the living area, and she made her way over to them. Part of her felt incredibly guilty for letting Shane down. But wasn’t that better than leading him on? Letting him think she loved him when every night, whether they were sharing a bed or not, her thoughts drifted to Dakota?

  She looked up at him as he focused on the map hanging on the wall. His jaw was covered in a few days’ growth, his eyes narrowed on the markings. As if he sensed her, he looked back at her and smiled.

  Warmth filled her chest. So he felt it too. That humming in the blood that screamed that’s the one.

  “So, what’s our next step?” Selena said, interrupting her thoughts. “Did you find anything in Gregory’s journal?”

  Anastasia shook her head sadly. “It was just a journal. Nothing in there about stopping Vincent or healing Terrenia.”

  “Dammit,” she cursed. “What are we supposed to do?”

  “We know he’s in Seattle now,” Dakota added. “And that he probably won’t be leaving until he’s done with whatever the hell it is he’s planning.”

  “True,” Selena agreed.

  “We also know that he has to be more cautious there, seeing as he has the military to go up against if things go sour.”

  Anastasia nodded. “Here, he could hit us with everything he’s got and we could do little to defend.”

  “So I say we hit him in Seattle. I know the city well and have enough contacts that I should be able to find out where he’s hiding.”

  Anastasia’s heart pounded in her chest as a plan took form. “That’s a wonderful idea.” She smiled. “Attack where he least expects it. After all, he knows we came back here.”

  “Exactly.” Dakota nodded.

  Selena nodded. “How many Fighters do you want to take?”

  “I don’t think we need to take any,” Anastasia told her. “Right now, stealth is going to be our greatest weapon. If we go in there taking a bunch of large men who’ve never seen a car, we’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”

  The other woman raised an eyebrow. “Car?”

  Exactly. Anastasia shrugged, not wanting to explain at the moment. The door opened, and Tony and Elizabeth entered on a laugh.

  “I thought I saw you two come in here.” Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her son.

  “What’s going on?” Tony asked.

  “We think we’ve got a plan,” Anastasia told him with a grin. “One that will give us the advantage we’ve been lacking.”

  54

  Anastasia

  “I don’t like it.” Tony commented once they’d finished filling him in. “You two going up against Vincent alone? Sounds like suicide to me.”

  “Not if we don’t get caught,” Anastasia said.

  “And if you do get caught?” His brown eyes shot to hers. “You will die.”

  Shane, who’d snuck in halfway through the idea, fumed, his chee
ks red with anger. She saw his anger in the way his jaw was hard, his body stiff against the wall. “This is fucking idiotic.”

  “And why is that?” Dakota asked.

  “Because you don’t know what the hell you’re doing,” he snapped. “You may be a cop—or whatever the hell your kind calls Fighters—but you sure as hell are no warrior. Vincent will slaughter you, and you’ll get Anastasia killed.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” Letting the power build in her veins, she held open her palm.

  Shane’s eyes widened slightly at the floating orb.

  “I always knew you were stubborn, Anastasia.” He narrowed his eyes on her face, “But I would never have added stupid to that list.”

  “You better watch your damn mouth,” Dakota warned.

  “Or what, cop? You honestly think you can take me on?”

  Tony stepped between them. “I think I can kick both your asses if you don’t knock it off. Shane, you ever call Anastasia stupid again and I’ll break your fucking face. Dakota, you have to understand that Shane has been fighting against Vincent for years. As far as enemies go, we know what you’re fighting against better than anyone.”

  “Agreed,” Dakota admitted. “But I know Seattle.”

  “Agreed,” Tony responded with a nod.

  Anastasia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, this is not a debate. This is the best possible plan, and if it fails, I will portal us back here.”

  “And if you can’t?” Selena asked. “That’s the big hiccup here, isn’t it? If you can’t come back, we will lose.”

  “If I stay and he kills us all, we’ll lose then, too. At least this way we have a chance of sneaking up on him.”

  They all stood quietly for a moment, processing the plan. She knew she was right; they had to get back to Seattle and at the very least try to find a way to get to him. Even if it meant hightailing it back here if things went wrong. At least they’d be doing something.

  Selena finally nodded. As acting town elder with Tony, they were the ones to make the final decisions regarding anything having to do with Terrenia.

  Not that it mattered much to Anastasia; she’d have portaled her and Dakota back to Seattle with or without their permission.

  “We will ready Terrenia for a counter-attack, should one come,” Selena said softly. “Shane, get Brady and the rest of the recruits ready for war. We will need everyone we have on hand in case Anastasia and Dakota are forced to retreat.”

  Shane scoffed and shook his head. “This will fail.” He left the cabin without another word.

  “Elizabeth, would you mind staying behind and helping with the injured?”

  “Not at all. I’m not much in a fight, but I can sure as hell stitch up an injury.”

  “You most certainly can,” Tony agreed.

  Anastasia caught the grin on his face as he looked down at Elizabeth. He likes her. She smiled. Good for him.

  “When will you leave?” Elizabeth asked Anastasia.

  “First thing in the morning.” She wanted to practice her battle magic a bit longer. Now that she knew she had it, she wanted to make sure it was perfected for when she went up against Vincent. He may have years on her, but she hoped she had power enough to take him out.

  Even if it meant killing them both.

  “You’re going to need to learn to fight with one of these.” She handed Dakota a sword later that morning. They’d made their way back to the cabin where Anastasia had taken some time to pack up the healing potions and other various items they might need in their assault.

  He smirked. “I know how to use a sword.”

  “Then let’s see.” She held her blade firmly and took her stance. He lunged, and she blocked, then she lunged, and he blocked.

  “Not bad.” She grinned.

  “I had some time on my hands in college, so I took up fencing. Well, that and boxing.”

  She spun, and he moved away quickly. Impressed, she regarded him a moment. When he attacked, she was ready. She laughed and moved, knocking the sword from his hand and pointing hers at him.

  “I’ve got to admit, Ana, this is doing something for me.” He laughed and bent to retrieve his sword.

  “Wait until we get to the hand-to-hand.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  Her face flushed, and she laughed. She lunged for him again, and this time he caught her around the waist and kissed her deeply.

  “But I’m okay to go there now, if you want.” He set his sword down and moved away from her.

  “If you think you can handle me,” she taunted as she set her sword to the side as well.

  Again, she took her stance as he took his. He lunged, and she dodged. He threw a punch, and she blocked. “You holding back on me, Parker?”

  “Possibly.”

  “Don’t.” When she spun, her right hook came into contact with his side, and he bent at the waist, laughing.

  “Well, well, Anastasia. It seems there is more to you than I ever knew.”

  She threw another punch, and he blocked it, then pinned her to the ground. She laughed and rolled him over, and when she twisted around him, so his head was between her legs in a headlock, he tapped. She stood and smiled down at him. “Want to go again?” she asked playfully.

  “Of course. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t want another round of that?” He winked, and she laughed.

  He charged toward her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground. Anastasia squealed, banging her fists against his back, and he lowered himself to his knees, tossing her onto the grass. She threw her legs up, wrapping them around his waist in an attempt to subdue him. She began to alligator roll, but he collapsed on top of her, his body limp and heavy, pressing her into the ground.

  He nuzzled his nose in her neck, then reached up and began tickling her sides—

  Elizabeth cleared her throat.

  They froze, holding each other’s gazes, their lips twitching. In unison, they slowly turned their heads to look up

  Elizabeth’s lips twitched, then she burst into laughter.

  Tony stood beside her, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes as he shook his head.

  “Well, isn’t this a sight,” Elizabeth said when she finished laughing.

  “I let her win.” Dakota chuckled, tapping Ana’s leg, so she would release him.

  “Don’t take it too personally, Dakota.” Tony laughed. “Anastasia here has been giving some of our best Fighters a run for their money over the last few years. She sure is something.”

  “She definitely is,” Dakota said, eyeing her. He pushed up, and then reached to pull Anastasia to her feet.

  “We were coming to see if you needed any help getting ready,” Elizabeth said, stifling a smile. “But we can always come back if you two are preoccupied.”

  Anastasia blushed. “Everything’s ready to go.”

  “You found Gregory’s journal, then?” Tony asked. “I assume since you didn’t tell us about it this morning, there wasn’t anything pertinent in there?”

  “Come see for yourselves.” Ana brushed dirt and grass from her clothing. “You two are more than welcome to read it.”

  They followed a dirty Dakota and Anastasia into the house. Together, Elizabeth and Tony sat at the table and read Gregory’s final journal entry.

  By the time they were finished, Elizabeth wiped a tear from her cheek. Even Tony’s eyes glistened.

  “He was the most wonderful man I have ever known.” Tony set the journal down. “I will always watch over you as if you were my own, Anastasia. Trust in that.”

  “I do.” She smiled and touched his arm gently.

  “He seems like he was quite the man. Dakota, he was right about you.” Elizabeth beamed. “You never told me that you met him, though.”

  “I didn’t know it was him. To me, he was just Silvan.”

  “The man you used to drink with at the bar?” she asked, surprised.
/>
  Dakota nodded.

  “Well, isn’t that the darnedest thing.”

  Dakota nodded. “You’re okay staying behind?” he asked his mother.

  “Of course. I would only be another distraction for the two of you. Besides, I think I can be of some help here.”

  Dakota turned to Tony. “You will keep her safe?”

  “I will protect her with my life.” Tony placed his fist over his heart.

  Dakota nodded and turned to Anastasia. “What’s our first step when we get there?”

  “I think I know who has been supplying Vincent with his weapons, and I am looking forward to paying that asshole a visit.”

  “Mitch,” Dakota clarified, grinning widely.

  “Yes,” Anastasia said. “I'm done being afraid of him. It’s time he knows who he is dealing with.”

  55

  Anastasia

  They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening gathering weapons, and Anastasia spent some time conjuring her power. It was coming much quicker to her now, no longer needing anger to trigger the magic.

  She hadn’t used much, not wanting to drain herself before the morning. They were going to need every tool at their disposal if they wanted to succeed.

  What would life be like then? If they succeeded and had nothing more to fight about?

  Would she finally be able to actually enjoy living?

  Anastasia’s eyes traveled over the faces of her people as they sat around the fire. Although her parents and Dakota’s father were not with them in the flesh, she knew they watched over them all.

  They had lost the last few battles, but as long as they didn’t quit, they would be victorious in the war.

  Tony sat next to Elizabeth, and he said something to her that made her laugh. Brady was with his mother, who fussed over him as she usually did, and the familiar routine made Anastasia smile. Sarah laughed with three other girls about her age, and they pointed at one of the younger Fighters before breaking into a fit of giggles when Sarah blushed.

  Shane stood in the corner, a glass of whiskey in his hand, watching it all. Her heart hurt for him.

  “I’ll be right back.” Anastasia stood and made her way over to where he stood. “Hey.”