Phoenix Fire

by S. D. Grimm

  The pieces were filled in. The memory from Japan—me talking with Yuki about something she’d found that could help Nick—that memory swirled back, too.

  Yuki had found a blade that could be used to cut the tie between a pair of Phoenix twins, in the case that one of them became evil. That meant, if we could get our hands on it, we could sever the connection between Nick and Gwen.

  Ava could kill Gwen without sentencing Nick to death.

  And the person who knew where it was had just remembered how to work the memory stone for me.

  My heart clutched as hope dared to rise.

  If Yuki could help us find the blade, I could save my brother.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Cade

  Yuki sat beside me, worry on her face, as she tried to wake me. “Cade?”

  “I’m okay.” I tried to pick myself off the kitchen floor, still reeling from the memories.

  Sunlight glinted though the windows. “What time is it?” I grabbed my head. “Where’s Nick?”

  My fool brother. My insides squeezed. I couldn’t let Ava kill Gwen.

  I leaned forward; this headache wasn’t dissipating. “Did I fall asleep here?” I looked at Yuki and noticed a tear on her cheek. “Whoa, what’s wrong?”

  She flung her arms around me and the headache vanished. “Stop doing that to me.”

  I hugged her tight and she shook in my arms. “Nick said I would die if Ava doesn’t kill Saki—um Gwendolyn.” He wasn’t wrong.

  “I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you.”

  I swallowed, my throat tightening, and I hugged her back, tight, remembering what it was like to be loved. Memories of this feeling flooded back into me. Nick, Ava. Heck, even Wyatt. They all loved me. I had a family.

  And I wasn’t about to lose them. I let Yuki go and stood. “Please tell Nick I left weapons here.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  I looked at Yuki. If I died, she’d die. Ava would die. Wyatt would die. And I was about to die if Ava didn’t kill Gwen. “We need that blade.”

  Her mouth opened and she widened her eyes. “I can’t remember—”

  “Can you please try?”

  She nodded. I pressed my knuckles against my mouth. There had to be another way.

  “If Ava kills Gwendolyn…” Yuki’s voice trailed off.

  “You remember, don’t you?” I cupped my face in my hands. “This is a disaster.”

  “Then we trap her. You know, take her hostage, until we find this blade.”

  I looked at Yuki and smiled. Even in the same clothes as yesterday, after a night on the kitchen floor, she was beautiful. “You’re a ray of sunshine, you know that? That might just work.” I wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now.

  “Let’s go find Ava.” Before it was too late. I dashed out the front door to catch my sister before she killed our brother.

  And a pack of monsters waited on my doorstep.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Ava

  I found myself still in the car the next morning. Fresh tears streamed down my face as I recalled how Gwendolyn had controlled Wyatt. With one snap of her fingers, she’d made him change. She wasn’t a full moon. How did she have so much power over him?

  I kept replaying the most awful moment of the memory that had unlocked to me last night: Wyatt jumped on top of Nick and tried to rip out his throat. I pulled him off and he whimpered, cringing away from me.

  But he’d turned. He was… If she could control him, could I ever truly trust him? I raised my dagger and Nick grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. Then he looked at Wyatt and yelled, “Run!”

  He’d tucked tail and run. I stared up at Nick and asked, “Why?”

  “If you kill him, he’s dead forever. That wasn’t his fault, Ava. That was mine.”

  I shook the memory away. Squeezed my eyes closed to make sure remnants wouldn’t come back to haunt me.

  Then I clutched the steering wheel tight, realizing that I’d sobbed myself to sleep last night. I’d left Wyatt alone.

  I checked my phone to find that Wyatt had texted me back: Meet me at the cabin?

  I sniffed residual tears away. Did I want to meet him now? Could I trust him? I’d remembered how much he loved me. How he was afraid to become the monster again. He deserved my loyalty. I would go meet him, but I wasn’t going to allow him near Gwen, for his sake as much as mine.

  He was right. I should have trusted him.

  The sun’s early rays glinted between houses as I drove through town toward the woods.

  Red and blue lights filled the streets. At least three police cars. What was going on? I had to find a different way around to get to the cabin. My heart pounded. What if Gwendolyn found him first? I pulled into a driveway to turn around. Yellow caution tape fluttered in the wind. Police waved for a growing crowd of spectators to leave. People stood with their hands over their faces. Crying.

  My heart stalled. What was going on?

  A car accident? There were no remnants of car parts. My heart whispered no because I knew exactly what it was. A monster had been here.

  Blood. I saw blood.

  Blood on the curb.

  Blood in the street.

  How many families on this street had suffered?

  My vision started to go black, and I sucked in air. I needed to breathe. I needed to get to the cabin and find Wyatt chained to the wall.

  Then I caught sight of another body bag.

  My throat constricted. Not just one. Cars behind me honked. I was blocking their only way around this mess. But I saw four body bags.

  I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.

  Eyes blurred, I drove straight for the cabin. As I drove through the long drive through the trees, my heart beat in a prayer that Wyatt would be where I’d left him.

  Blood-splattered trees.

  Piles of ash littered the piles of fallen leaves.

  My stomach clenched, and I held in a sob. What had happened here?

  I parked, but as I got out of the car, a memory grabbed hold of me with such force and raw emotion that my knees weakened. I fell onto the gravelly ground, hands feeling the crunching leaves, and then I was inside the memory, staring at blood. I was back in France after Wyatt had betrayed us and I’d spared his life. And he’d run.

  Nick and I had been tracking him, but what we’d found here made my insides feel shredded.

  Blood and bodies with ripped-out throats. With claw marks deep into their skin.

  I sank to the ground, clutching my stomach. Sobbing.

  Cade knelt next to me, hand on my shoulder. “Ava, I’m—”

  “Stop!” I pushed his hand away and curled into a ball, letting the sobs wrack me. “He did this,” I whispered over and over.

  Nick’s voice cut through my crying. “And it was my fault. I let him get close to her.”

  “This?” I still couldn’t speak above a whisper. “This was my—”

  “No, Ava.” Nick clutched my shoulder, his soft voice in my ear. “We have to get Wyatt back before he’s too far gone.”

  And as another sob tore through me, the memory dissipated. The emotion of it left me raw. The reality of what he was capable of. No wonder he’d been so tentative around me. He knew once I’d remembered what he’d done that I would…well, what would I do? Was he still this monster?

  I prayed no more memories would come now. My fragile emotions couldn’t take another one. I just wanted to find Wyatt.

  I looked up, tears in my eyes, unsuccessfully trying to calm my thundering heart, and prayed he was still here. “Wyatt?”

  No answer.

  I ran around back and walked inside. “Wyatt?” Tears broke free, streaming down my face. “Say something, Wyatt!”

  On shaky legs, I raced down the cellar stairs, letting morning light shine inside. The door was open. I pushed it and it swung wider, letting sunlight in.

  Wyatt wasn’t there.

  Claw marks covered the dirt.
Not just dirt. Blood. The whole place was covered in blood. I touched the ground and red came away on my fingers. My chest clutched. And I sobbed.

  I pulled out my phone, praying I could at least find him this morning.

  “Come on, Wyatt. Pick up.”

  Someone answered.

  “Wyatt?” My voice shook.

  “Ava, at last we meet again.”

  The room started growing dark in my peripheral. I pulled venom into my voice. “Gwen.”

  A tiny laugh accented her pleased smile. I could hear it in her voice. “Have you seen your lover’s handiwork this morning? He spilled a lot of blood last night.”

  Blood…I couldn’t breathe. Could hardly see. Pins and needles coursed through my veins. I fisted my hand. “What do you want?”

  “You know what I want. You. Your powers. Your life.”

  “Where is Wyatt?”

  “You saw where we had our little disagreement last night, I see. I wanted to make sure you were convinced.”

  “Don’t you hurt him!” I screamed my throat raw.

  “It’s easy, Ava. Come alone and I’ll give you your brothers back. That’s right. My monsters have Nick and his annoying friend Kelsey over by the loading dock. Kelsey is still alive because Wyatt, that tricky little wolf, got away last night. I wanted to make sure you gave me what I wanted. I found Cade and what’s her name…Yuki. And I have them here at the town library—because it reminds me so much of home. Come and give me your powers and I’ll personally heal Cade. Then I’ll tell my monsters to leave Nick and his friend alone. Don’t, and I start killing. You and I both know Cade won’t last another cycle. I told you I’d take all of your loved ones, and you left them alone.”

  She ended the call and I sank the floor, sobbing.

  I gripped my phone so hard my hand hurt. I would not let her win. I calmed myself and stood. There was only one way out of this now. Pretend to give her my powers—which I honestly didn’t know how to do—and kill her.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Ava

  I had to fight Gwen alone. It was the only option. I’d been right after all: I couldn’t trust anyone but myself. That realization hurt more than I expected.

  I headed back out to my car, and a rustling in the leaves caught my attention. I whirled around to see Wyatt headed my way.

  Every emotion inside of me pressed against the dam holding me together, and I ran to him. He met me with a worried expression, and I threw my arms around him. “You’re okay?”

  “I’m…” He hugged me tight and buried his face in my neck.

  I couldn’t hug him close enough. I had no idea if he’d remember what he’d done last night. If he’d even done it. Maybe that was all a ruse by Gwen the psycho. “Gwendolyn knows where I am.”

  His breathing shook. “Sh-she sent monsters here last night.”

  “Are you okay?” I pulled back and looked at him, aware that a few tears had leaked out of my eyes. I held his face in my hands. Bruising on his cheek, his arms, looked like it was slowly healing.

  “I’m okay.” He thumbed away my tears. “Are you?”

  No. For heaven’s sake, no. I wanted to scream it, but I couldn’t put Wyatt in the position of getting close to Gwen. Not after what I’d remembered.

  But standing here, staring at him, my heart ached. Then I stepped back. “You’re wearing clothes.”

  He let out a short, surprised laugh. “I normally do.” Then he breathed deep. “I had clothes here. I went home to find Kelsey, but she’s not there. I imagine she’s searching for me, but I can’t find my phone. I always leave it in my shed.”

  My heartbeat sped. It had to be true, then. Gwen must have Kelsey.

  A thousand texts rang through my phone, making it buzz in my pocket.

  Wyatt stared at me as if expecting me to answer it. I pulled out the phone and opened it. I gasped and pressed my hand to my face as pictures came in. Pictures of Cade and Kelsey and Yuki and Nick. Bound. Gagged. Some of them bloody. All of them from Wyatt’s phone. And one message came through: You have one hour. I’m impatient.

  “Ava, what’s wrong?”

  I backed away from Wyatt. Was he lying? Had she already gotten to him.

  “Ava?” His eyebrows pulled together, but he seemed more ready to bolt than to close the distance between us.

  “It’s Gwendolyn. She has your phone.” I held out mine so he could see the pictures.

  His eyes widened and he looked at me. “We have to go save them. We—”

  I grabbed his arm. I could send him to get Kelsey and Nick, while I went after Cade and Yuki, but would that get him killed? “I have to go after them.”

  “Ava.” He held out his hands and deep hurt seemed to cross his features. “Not alone. No.”

  My voice came out soft and unsteady. “Wyatt, I can’t—you can’t come with me.”

  “You have reason to not trust me, but I won’t hurt you on purpose.” Tears brimmed in his eyes.

  I’d seen what Gwen had done to him. “How did she get your phone?”

  “I left it at home.”

  “And you were just there.” I motioned to his clothes.

  He backed away, his features scrunching up. “You don’t trust me.”

  I wanted to. I’d told him I would trust his heart. Forever. And yet, I’d almost killed him. If Nick hadn’t stopped me—I stepped away from him. “It’s close to a full moon. Just like before.”

  “She sent her monsters to break me out last night, but that’s all. I swear.”

  My heart hammered. “Do you know what happened in town last night?”

  “Ava.” He stepped closer to me, eyes pleading, arms out as if to calm me down. “Please believe me.” His voice held a tremor. “I didn’t—if I’m responsible for that—”

  A warm tear slid down my cheek. “Why don’t you stay here?”

  “No. You can’t ask me to stay here when you’re alone already. This is the most important fight you’ve ever faced. Your last chance. And she has my sister. My mortal sister.”

  I wanted to believe him so badly my heart seemed to squeeze in half. But admitting that I believed him was putting myself out there for rejection. And I promised myself I’d never do that again.

  If they wanted to be my family, they had to prove it to me.

  And Wyatt couldn’t prove it if I put him in the way of danger. I grabbed his hands. “Wyatt, I understand where you’re coming from. But I think you’ll be better off staying away from Gwen. She has Kelsey and Nick at the abandoned dock with some of her monsters. Cade and Yuki are with her.”

  “But you need help to defeat her. You don’t think I can learn from my mistakes? You don’t think I can fight her off?”

  “What do you need to fight her off?”

  He stared back at me, blinking back tears. “You can trust me, Ava.”

  It was a plea. I remembered what I’d said to him: Even the smallest light can pierce the dark. I’m your light, Wyatt. As long as I trust your heart, I’ll keep shining. You’ll come back to me.

  I had to keep him away from Gwen. I looked into his wounded expression and prayed he’d be able to forgive me. “I only trust half of you.” Even as I said it, my heart cracked in two. Because I wanted to tell him I trusted him so badly, it hurt.

  He expelled a breath and backed away from me, his hands sliding out of mine. “Right.”

  “It’s a trap, Wyatt.”

  Wyatt clenched his jaw. “I go after Nick and Kelsey. You go get Cade and Yuki. I’ll send Nick to you. And I’ll stay away like you asked.” His eyes pleaded with me. “You three can end this.”

  It would keep him away from Gwen. And I would keep my brothers safe, too. I nodded. “Go.”

  He ran and never looked back over his shoulder.

  And I knew I’d crushed his resolve, but it would be fine. Gwendolyn wouldn’t live long enough to torment him ever again. I got in the car and drove to the library to face Gwen alone. And end this for good.

  Ch
apter Forty-Nine

  Ava

  I pulled into the empty library parking lot and looked up. The building always reminded me of some Grecian palace with its columns and pillars and wide staircase. Everything was so vaguely familiar.

  I swallowed, wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans. Things didn’t feel right. Too quiet, for one thing. It was late evening on a Sunday, so it made sense that the parking lot was empty, but something was wrong. Like a shiver in my bones. A monster baiting me from behind a tree.

  I stepped out of the car. I had three knives, my gun, and the crossbow and arrows. Who knew what kind of monsters she’d have created and brought with her.

  My boots crunched against lose gravel. I sniffed. The air was off. Warmer than it should be, and slightly sour. Like old blood. I strained my ears. Then I heard labored breathing.

  Chances were, Gwen wanted me to confront her, so all I really had to do was walk through the front door and head up to the roof, prepared for an ambush.

  It sounded easy, but a slight breeze made me shiver.

  Goose bumps already dotted my arms. My stomach churned. As much as I knew I had to do this alone, I wished Nick were here.

  Even Wyatt.

  Why had I pushed them away? The betrayal—something in my heart told me I didn’t have the whole story yet, that I wanted to hear their sides of the stories. But in my desire to keep everyone and arm’s length, I’d jumped at the chance to distance myself.

  To keep my heart from getting hurt.

  It hadn’t worked, really. Now I was just alone and scared.

  I’d sent Wyatt after Nick. I’d made him believe I didn’t trust him. Didn’t have faith in him. Didn’t love him.

  My heart squeezed.

  If I was being honest with myself, I’d learned to love more people over the past few months than this whole lifetime. People I trusted. When all of this was over, I’d make it right.

  I’d let them in.

  I crossed the parking lot, sensing a shadow or two scurry across my periphery. There, on the ground level—kind of like a walk-out basement, was a door that seemed to lead under the library. A small black sliver between it and the wall told me it was partially open. As I approached, it became clear that this was a cellar door of sorts. Perhaps it led to a tornado shelter.