Ashes

by Lauralana Dunne

  “Apprentice Camden,” she replied. Phoenix was proud of the fact that she barely wobbled with the curtsy she gave him, but he shook his head in amusement as he made his way from the library. His soft laughter echoed back at her, and she couldn’t help but smile.

  ***

  Phoenix exited the library, returning her lantern to the front desk on her way out. To her surprise, Kit was sitting in the hallway waiting for her. The pup’s bushy tail started wagging as soon as Phoenix closed the door behind her.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she scolded quietly, patting the dog affectionately on the head. Kit’s sense of smell must be amazing to find her so easily in Angor’s walls.

  She looked around but the hallway was empty and quiet. Phoenix clicked her tongue and started down the corridor. Kit jumped up and trotted easily at her side.

  Phoenix had found the castle confusing in the light of the day, but now she was completely lost. Endless grey stone walls stretched before her on either side; every passage looked the same as the next. Phoenix found it impossible to discern any point of reference as they went.

  The candles on the walls flickered as they passed - causing the light to shift on the stone. Her own shadow continued to grow and shrink depending on her proximity to the quivering flames. The quiet was making Phoenix uneasy.

  “Everyone’s p’rolly in their rooms already,” she said softly, as if talking too loudly might disturb them, “jus’ like we should be.” She hesitated before going down a short flight of stairs that she didn’t remember from before. Surely if the library was up high, she must have to go down to get back to her destination.

  “I’m not sure where we’re goin’,” she told the pup. “I wish someone was around t’ask...”

  As they continued down the hallway, Phoenix’s need to turn around grew with each step.

  The books in her arms were getting heavy. She tried shifting their weight every few steps, but it did nothing to help. When felt like her arms could no longer lift them, Phoenix decided it was time to turn around. The corridor up ahead was dark and dusty with unlit candles hanging from the walls. She was loathe to get lost and be in the dark at the same time.

  “Kit,” Phoenix called the pup to her.

  She waited a moment but Kit didn’t turn around, continuing down the dark corridor.

  “Kit!” Phoenix said, more insistently. Kit continued to ignore her, sniffing at the base of the wall. With a huff, Phoenix shifted her books again and took a step backwards. “C’mon. It’s time t’ go. We’re gonna get in trouble.”

  Kit whined softly but didn’t move. Phoenix gave a sigh and walked over to her, grumbling. “Wha’ izzit now?”

  Kit was sat on the floor, half in the shadows, facing the wall where a large painting was hanging.

  “It’s jus’ a paintin’,” Phoenix told her. “C’mon.”

  Kit whined again and barked at it.

  “Shh!” Phoenix hissed. She stepped forward to grab the pup, but paused as the picture captured her attention.

  The painting was large - much larger than the height that Phoenix stood - and intricately done. The frame was gilded and ornate, though tarnished, and the colors within the image were well-preserved despite its age and forgotten state.

  The scene depicted was one of a young woman, smiling, and rocking an infant in front of a window. The woman was beautiful, Phoenix thought, with long dark hair and wide green eyes. She looked familiar, but Phoenix was unable to place her.

  The child in her lap was reaching up and laughing. She had tight ringlets of berry-blond hair, and her eyes were the same green as the woman holding her.

  “S’just a paintin’,” she repeated. Patting the pup on the head, Phoenix snapped her fingers and turned back the way that they’d come. “C’mon. We gotta go.”

  “What are you doing here?” a harsh voice demanded, making Phoenix jump.

  Captain Rolf stood in the centre of the hallway, blocking the way which they had come. He glared at Phoenix, both hands resting easily on his heavy belt as he stood as unmoving as the walls around them.

  Phoenix stood nervously under his glare. She moved slightly, hoping to obscure the Captain’s view of Kit, but his eyes were already focused on the pup.

  “Were you not informed,” he asked, scathingly, “that beasts are not allowed to roam Angor’s halls?” His eyes narrowed accusingly at the books in Phoenix’s arms, as if holding them was somehow a personal affront to him.

  “We got lost,” she began in a weak voice. “I was called to the library after meal’s end...” She trailed off at the look on his face and shifted her weight uncomfortably. The Guardscaptain’s expression changed drastically at her choice of words. His face darkened and he moved to the side so that she could pass him, which he indicated for her to do with an angry jerk of his chin.

  “I will escort you back to the dorms,” he said formally, in a controlled tone. “You shouldn’t be running around the castle this late without supervision.”

  The way he said it seemed to imply that only she was not allowed to walk around by herself, but the look on his face encouraged her to swallow her retort. “Thank you,” she said instead.

  Moving quickly, she walked with Kit at her heels. Instead of leading the way, Captain Rolf followed behind her like a churlish shadow. Phoenix realized that he was doing it in order to keep the two of them in his sights.

  “Go left,” he ordered abruptly. She turned without comment and walked down a small hallway that led to a well-lit area. She could feel his eyes boring into the back of her skull and she did her best to move quickly so as not to aggravate him further.

  The way back seemed much shorter than Phoenix remembered, though being escorted in such a fashion somehow also made the walk seem endless. The Captain directed her down a set of stairs that led out to the back courtyard. With a glare, he unlocked the metal door and held it open silently. Phoenix led Kit to the door and crouched down.

  “Go see Muler,” she told the pup softly, stroking her soft ears. Kit wagged her tail and gave Phoenix’s hand a lick before bounding off into the outside.

  Standing to watch her go, Phoenix felt a pop and watched as a large shadow cross the courtyard in the direction of Malcourt’s tower. It was hard to make out the shape in the dark, but she could see large wings flapping backwards to slow its descent as it landed on one of the windowsills.

  Phoenix frowned. Pip seemed massive in the dim lighting.

  “Hurry up,” Captain Rolf barked at her, looking sour as he continued to hold the door open for her.

  Shifting her books, Phoenix slipped back inside to the stony warmth of the porch. The Captain pulled the massive door shut with a loud clang. Phoenix felt her ears vibrate painfully from the impact, but wisely she didn’t say anything.

  With heavy steps, the Guardscaptain led the way towards the dorms. Even in the late hour, the Captain showed no signs of leaving duty for the night. He was not wearing the armour that he wore when Phoenix had first met him. His garb was a thick heavy leather, and his sword scabbard was freshly polished where it hung from his belt.

  They reached the dorms’ staircase. The Captain went up as far as the landing that separated the two dorms, the boys from the girls, but he did not continue onward.

  “Take care not to wake the others,” he ordered her as she passed. “They don’t deserve to have their rest interrupted just because you can’t follow the rules.”

  His words followed her up the stairs. Phoenix said nothing and closed the door behind her, shutting out the sound of the Captain’s voice, enjoying the small sliver of satisfaction that she was able to dismiss him in such a fashion.

  The common room was dark and silent. Dying embers glowed in the hearth and cast a soft light in the immediate area. Gratefully, Phoenix set the books down and rubbed the feeling back into her arms.

  The girls had been in bed for a while now, and the thought of waking anyone - especially Mistress Ruby - gave her pause. She couldn’t deal with a
nyone else’s disapproval.

  Sighing a second time, Phoenix sat on one of the couches. She was not looking forward to tomorrow. The idea of seeing Master Weston again, or the idea of dealing with the mocking that Brianna would subject her to, filled her with a sense of dread. She thought back to what Sophie said and felt slightly relieved. Perhaps the girl was right. Perhaps in a week she would be settled.

  Phoenix lay on the couch and positioned her feet towards the warmth of the embers. She was too tired to search for a spare blanket, so she tucked herself into the cushions as much as possible. She wouldn’t wake Mistress Ruby, she decided. Once the waking bell rang she would slip upstairs to her room in the commotion and no one would be the wiser.

  Pulling out the strip of parchment that Camden had given her, she peered at it closely. “Phoenix,” she murmured to herself. Tomorrow she would memorize it, she promised herself. It seemed like the best place to start.

  Carefully, she tucked it back into the pocket of her tunic. Feeling more resolve than she had in awhile, Phoenix willed herself to relax. Finally, after a while, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 11

  The warmth was suffocating.

  A thin wail cut through the room. Phoenix could hear a familiar voice call out in desperation. A small child wandered into view, searching frantically around her.

  “Mommy!” she wailed into the emptiness.

  Phoenix felt her heart lurch in her chest.

  It was the girl from the painting. She was older now, about five years, though her face remained almost identical to the laughing infant in the portrait. Her long hair hung in thick curls that reminded Phoenix of her own.

  “Mommy!” she sobbed, looking scared.

  “Hey,” Phoenix called to her softly.

  The girl jumped at the sound of Phoenix’s voice. Gulping back her sobs, she walked over to Phoenix. Her wide eyes were a brilliant green against her pale face.

  She stopped before Phoenix and held out her hand. Phoenix reached out to take it, but the child dropped something into it instead. Phoenix opened her hand to see her necklace resting in her palm.

  She fumbled at her chest where her pendant hung. “How did you...”

  Suddenly the girl began to shrink, as if dropping away from Phoenix down an unseen hole. She screamed in pain.

  “No!” Phoenix lunged for the girl’s hand. Phoenix felt as though she were being lifted by an unseen force. She soared upwards and the girl quickly disappeared into the darkness.

  “No!” she cried again.

  Suddenly her feet were on solid ground. The air around her was hot and rising in temperature. Waves of heat pressed against her, settling against her skin and weighing down her hair. They snaked down her throat and into her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. Smoke hung around the room like a thick fog, acting as a wall that forced the scorching warmth back towards her. Muted firelight illuminated the heavy air around her randomly.

  Phoenix started to choke as she stumbled around blindly, trying to escape. She could hear the sounds of frightened animals somewhere nearby.

  Coughing, Phoenix held her sleeve over her mouth. Something caught her foot and she stumbled, barely catching herself in time as she fell, her hands saving her face from hitting the wooden floor.

  Crawling, Phoenix turned around to see what made her fall. Through the smoke she could see an arm resting on the ground. It was outstretched, fingers extended stiffly as if grasping for something. Phoenix grabbed the hand and shook it repeatedly. “We’ve gotta get outta here,” she managed to choke out between coughs.

  A screeching metal sound pierced her ears when she tugged the arm again. When the person didn’t move, Phoenix crawled closer to see if she could help. She waved her arms to clear the smoke and saw that it was a man wearing an Angor guard’s suit. The guard remained unmoving, and it was only then that Phoenix noticed the ashen color of his skin. She peered closely at his face. His eyes were stretched wide open, uncomprehending as they stared ahead sightlessly in the burning room.

  Phoenix screamed. Aghast, she threw herself backwards so that she was no longer touching the corpse. Frantically, she rubbed her hands against her arms, as if she could somehow erase the feeling of his flesh against her skin. Burning pain blossomed between her fingers and her shoulder blades.

  The surrounding inferno had reached her. Phoenix started to scream as the fire licked at her bare feet, climbing slowly up her legs. She thrashed, hitting frantically at the flames.

  Something shook her violently and she screamed again. In the distance, she could hear someone calling her name over the roar of the blaze around her.

  Something struck her feet and she fell flat on her back.

  “Harder, Rae. Use it again!” a woman’s voice shouted above her. “Use that blanket! It’s almost out!”

  Phoenix opened her eyes.

  She was lying on the couch in the common room. Mistress Ruby’s hands were on her shoulders, shaking her awake, while Rae used a blanket to smother the flames at the foot of the couch. Phoenix could see the rest of the girls she had woken, glaring at her as a rumpled huddle in the doorway.

  Elise rushed forward and splashed a glass of water over the couch pillows. Rae peered at it carefully and, after making sure that the fabric was no longer smoking, dropped the ruined blanket on the floor.

  Rae sat next to Phoenix on the couch. “Are you all right?” she asked, pulling her into a hug. Phoenix nodded silently, and Rae began to rub her back while the hot tears poured down her face.

  “Mistress Ruby...” Rae began, softly.

  “Quite right, Miss Rae.” Mistress Ruby straightened and fixed a look on the hostile group of girls. “Everyone back to bed,” she ordered briskly, watching them without pause until they shuffled off, climbing up the stairs with sullen backward glances.

  Mistress Ruby took another blanket and wrapped it around Phoenix’s shaking shoulders. “Rae, go to my storage and get some tea, please. I think the thistle root one would be best. My kettle should still be warm.”

  Rae nodded and, with a squeeze to Phoenix’s arm, walked down the hall to Mistress Ruby’s room.

  The Mistress Ruby took her place, rubbing Phoenix’s arms to help distract her from her sleep-terror. “It’s just a bad dream,” she told her, with a comfort that surprised Phoenix. “You’re safe. Just breathe.”

  Phoenix gasped, sucking air into her lungs. Desperately she tried to suppress the tremors that wracked her body, the searing pain in her scars distracting her.

  Rae returned with a warm mug and Mistress Ruby held it to Phoenix’s lips. The smell was awful and she gagged slightly in protest.

  “It will calm your nerves,” she insisted, not removing the cup. “It will help you to sleep.”

  Too tired to protest, Phoenix gulped the drink without pause until it was finished, coughing at the awful taste it left in her mouth. A moment later, a fuzzy warmth spread up her spine to pool in her head.

  “I made it strong on purpose,” Rae said, from somewhere far away. Phoenix was conscious of standing, with each arm around a different set of shoulders as she was escorted from the room.

  “Here we are,” a voice said, penetrating the cloud that had wrapped itself around Phoenix’s senses.

  She felt her body fall a short distance before it was caught by a firm surface, and gentle hands maneuvered her expertly into her bed. Phoenix was barely conscious as Mistress Ruby pulled the sheets over her and tucked her in for sleep.

  CHAPTER 12

  Phoenix opened her eyes. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room and the backs of her eyelids with a soft glow. Groaning, she rubbed her face and turned over.

  She was in her bed. The books that she had been carrying the night before had been stacked neatly on the floor next to her clothes, which had been replaced by her new sleepwear after she had been brought upstairs.

  A questioning chirp and the sound of rustling wings drew her attention to the hearth�
��s grate. Pip was perched there, her large yellow eyes blinking slowly as she watched Phoenix sit up. She opened her great wings, and, with a flap, glided easily to the foot of her bed. Slowly, flipping her wings to her back, she minced her way along the sheets and up Phoenix’s leg.

  Her large talons were gentle as she rested on Phoenix’s knee. Peering into Phoenix’s face, Pip tilted her head so far to the side that Phoenix feared her neck would snap. The owl’s head continued to turn until it was almost completely upside down, then she blinked and chirped again, as if asking the girl a question.

  Phoenix smiled. Slowly, she outstretched her hand and ran a fingertip down the bird’s chest. “Good morning t’ you, too,” she greeted Pip softly.

  “Mid-day,” Rae corrected from where she was sitting at her desk, startling Phoenix, who had not noticed her there before.

  Pip ignored the other girl. She righted her head, and, quickly - as if afraid of being seen - rubbed her cheek against Phoenix’s hand. The next moment, the owl launched herself from Phoenix’s knee and disappeared through the open window, her massive wingspan barely making it through the stone opening.

  With Pip gone, Phoenix had no choice but to turn her attention to Rae’s curious gaze.

  “How are you feeling?” Rae asked, leaving her desk to bring Phoenix a glass of water.

  “Fuzzy,” Phoenix admitted, drinking the water gratefully. Her mouth was parched, and her body felt like it was made of stone. “How long have I been sleepin’?”

  Rae shrugged. “Mid-meal just started.” She grinned when Phoenix groaned. “Don’t worry about it. The weather shifted this morning so today is an orchard day: all the lessons were cancelled. And, thankfully, since Tessa said I was to stay with you, I was able to catch up on my dormwork. Oh! Guess what!” She waited for Phoenix to answer, but continued on when the girl only blinked at her. “Elise’s going to be your new teacher! That’s why she was summoned after last evening’s meal! She’s never taught anyone before - but they thought you’d be good practice. And at least you won’t have to deal with Master Weston anymore.”