Phoenix Burning

by Anne, Melody

  He finally pushed her away, which caused her to stumble and almost fall. Her face was filled with hurt and confusion.

  “I’ve said not yet,” he said through clinched teeth. Saying nothing more, he disappeared in a ball of fire and smoke.

  Jessica stood rooted to the spot long after Vyco disappeared. She was filled with turbulent emotions. Hate and anger were at the forefront and she wanted to destroy anything in her path. Why did he keep refusing her? Why did he punish them both?

  Anger faded as she realized what he’d told her before his mouth had distracted her. He was giving her power . . . magical power. She thought back to the bowl she’d flung without realizing what she was doing. Her eyes glowed as she thought of the destruction she could cause with magic spilling from her fingers. She could rule the new world. Her spirits lifted.

  She finally made her way back to the cave. She was sick of being Vyco’s spy. She wanted to be his partner. She knew if he played with her too long, she’d grow tired of it and stop pretending to be his toy. She’d play the part long enough to get whatever she could out of him . . . but he definitely shouldn’t underestimate her.

  Jessica always got what she wanted — in one way or another.

  Chapter Eleven

  Phoenix walked through the cold forest with Sadie. Dawn was breaking over the horizon as Phoenix scanned the familiar woods, feeling out of place. Something was wrong.

  The two girls were silent as they trudged through the undergrowth, dry twigs snapping beneath their feet. A shiver ran through Phoenix as she peered around the dimly lit area. Why were they in the dawning forest? She couldn’t remember walking from the cave. She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs.

  “Do you remember what we’re supposed to be doing?” Phoenix asked. Sadie smiled as if she thought Phoenix was joking.

  “You wanted to take a walk, talk about something important. You insisted we leave right away,” Sadie answered when Phoenix’s expression didn’t change.

  “I don’t remember the conversation. Something’s wrong, Sadie,” Phoenix said, feeling an overwhelming sense of unease — and yet they continued to walk farther from safety. Why didn’t they stop and turn? It almost felt as if a force was pulling them against their will.

  “You’re scaring me, Phoenix,” Sadie said, suddenly stopping. Phoenix looked into Sadie’s eyes, trying to concentrate. She lifted her hand, rubbing her temple for a few moments. She was starting to feel pressure build, not a headache, more like there was something inside — just out of reach.

  “I’m sure if we keep walking, it’ll come to me,” Phoenix said, trying to sound positive.

  They continued down the path. Phoenix turned her head as the morning sun brightened the sky. She didn’t know where they were. They couldn’t have gone far — she should’ve known every bush and tree around her. Her unease grew because she knew the woods better than almost anyone at camp. Why couldn’t she recognize where she was? She didn’t want to alert Sadie to more of her troubled thoughts so she continued to scan the area and try to get her bearings. Sadie wasn’t acting as if anything was wrong.

  “I had a great conversation with Devon the other day. The new group is settling in nicely. I’m glad they’ve joined us,” Phoenix said, needing to start a conversation so she could fill the unnerving silence.

  “Yes, they’re all so kind. They’ve also made me realize how much we have,” Sadie said. “What did you want to talk about out here that we couldn’t discuss in the cave?”

  “I’m trying to remember. When I think about it too hard, I seem to get a shooting pain in my head,” Phoenix answered. There was no use trying to lie to her best friend. Sadie would figure it out anyway.

  “We need to sit. You don’t look well,” Sadie said. She gave Phoenix an almost maternal smile, took her hand, and led her to a fallen, mossy log.

  “Maybe all of the talk of battle has bothered me more than I realized,” Phoenix said haltingly.

  “Phoenix, you need to refocus. Look around you at this beautiful day.” Sadie smiled. For some reason, her expression of innocence scared Phoenix even further. Sadie was acting strange . . . really strange. Phoenix suddenly wanted to get back to the safety of the cave. She knew they were in danger and she’d learned to trust her instincts.

  “We need to go back.”

  “Okay, you lead the way,” Sadie said. Even her tone of voice caused fear to race through Phoenix’s nerves and straight up her spine. Sadie wasn’t acting like herself — not at all.

  Phoenix looked up and felt dizzy. She glanced around but couldn’t find the trail they’d been walking. Trails didn’t disappear. Their situation was all wrong, and if she didn’t get them home safely, she knew something bad was going to happen.

  “Let’s go,” Phoenix insisted, standing and taking off at a jog, pulling Sadie behind her. She didn’t care if there wasn’t a trail. She’d get them home. She’d traversed the woods countless times for many years. Sadie remained eerily quiet. Phoenix only knew she was still behind her because she had a tight grip on her hand.

  The clear sky darkened as it filled with storm clouds moving at an unearthly speed, almost in a furious frenzy. Thick, menacing pillows of gray fog were descending on them.

  Phoenix picked up her pace, fighting her rising panic. As the clouds overtook the sky, the earth started to tremble beneath them. She heard rumbling in the distance, edging toward them. A thunderstorm was quickly moving in. She felt like she couldn’t breathe — her mouth was dry and her palms sweaty.

  “We need to hurry,” she urged Sadie. The two girls started sprinting, running from the unknown. The day mysteriously turned to night as the area suddenly darkened from the increasing cloud cover. Flashes of light streaked across the ominous sky.

  Phoenix strained to see ahead when something grabbed her leg, sending her flying into the air. She seemed to be in slow motion as she arched over the ground, her grip being ripped from Sadie’s hand. She crashed to the ground, expelling what little oxygen was left in her lungs. She lay there, panting for a moment, stunned, unable to move.

  “Sadie!” she screamed. The sky let go and torrents of rain poured down, making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her. She slowly stumbled to her feet, her body aching and weak, her head in unbearable agony, and terror clutching her frame.

  “Phoenix, help!” she heard Sadie scream. She didn’t take time to think — she willed her body to obey her frantic mind and ran toward the sound of Sadie’s voice. Sadie was screaming in pain. Each cry ripped through Phoenix.

  “I’m coming,” Phoenix cried. She was getting closer. She stumbled through a thick bush and then felt her body almost collapse from terror. The rain ceased as quickly as it had started, the threatening clouds still black as night, but the small clearing seemed to be in a bubble from the rest of the world.

  Sadie was lying on the ground, thrashing in pain, blood trickling from her nose, as Vyco loomed over her. His face seemed almost pleasant, as if they were doing nothing more than having a mere conversation.

  “Hello, Phoenix. I’m so glad you’ve found your way to us. You’ve been causing me a great deal of trouble, yet somehow you seem to always escape, unharmed, from right under my grasp,” Vyco said in an almost friendly tone. He chuckled as if they were long-lost pals, his tone and words countering his icy expression.

  “Let her go, Vyco. She has nothing to do with your war,” Phoenix said, slowly creeping forward. She knew she had no chance of winning against the demon but she wouldn’t stand by while he killed Sadie.

  “I’m having a nice time getting acquainted with your little friend,” he said as he pointed toward Sadie, making her scream as her body contorted. Phoenix was well aware of the pain he was inflicting on Sadie — he’d done the same to her, and it would forever haunt her.

  “Why not just kill me and get it over with if I’m so much trouble to you? Why harm my friend? She’s done nothing to you,” Phoenix
yelled. Something wasn’t right. Why was he toying with them? She knew he had the power to kill them with a simple twitch of his finger, yet he was doing nothing but talking and causing Sadie agony.

  They were nothing to him. They held no power. She narrowed her eyes as she figured out something more was wrong than just that situation. If she could break whatever spell he held over her, they could escape. She felt it.

  As if Vyco could sense her train of thought, his smile disappeared. His true form was shimmering in and out of focus.

  “You aren’t in control — I am. Don’t forget that. I’ll play with you as long as I like, but make no mistake about it — I can kill you without any effort,” he snarled. And though he spoke the words, the longer Phoenix stood there the more she realized he didn’t have as much power over her as he was bragging about. She was unsure how she knew that, but she did.

  The sky thundered, and suddenly a brilliant streak of light slammed into the ground, only a few feet from Phoenix. She fell backward from the force of the impact. She felt short bursts of electricity pass through her body, but there was no pain accompanying it.

  “You’re only alive because I’ve allowed it,” he said.

  “Why play this game, Vyco? If you have the power to kill us, why not do it?” Phoenix countered defiantly.

  “You have two choices. Come to me now — place your hand in mine . . . or die,” he said. He offered his pale, cold hand with long black fingernails. She was instantly closer to him, only feet separating them. Phoenix would never serve him — he wasn’t good enough for her submission.

  Sadie screamed again, drawing Phoenix’s attention. She had to save Sadie, even if it caused her own death. But why would he let either of them live? Why did he need her to come to him? Why not just grab her, make her do his will?

  Phoenix slowly moved toward him, trying to make her mind work. She had to put all the pieces in place and then she could save them.

  “That’s right. Save yourself — save your friend,” he said in a hypnotic tone. She reached her hand forward, her fingers only inches from his.

  “Do not take his hand, Phoenix,” a voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t underestimate your own strength. You’re strong, remember that. You can defeat him, and he knows it.”

  She glanced around, searching for the familiar face that matched the voice, but saw nothing. She knew she could trust the words, though.

  “You can defeat him,” the voice said again with gentle urgency and she knew it was Josiah. She knew she must listen.

  “Release her!” Phoenix suddenly shouted, finding strength from his words.

  “You dare defy me!” Vyco shouted, causing the skies to thunder and lightning to streak all around them like claws from above. Fingers of deadly electric current reached for them, snaked around their bodies.

  “Now you’ll feel the pain of your rebellion,” Vyco roared.

  The thunder grew louder, rolling across the land. Lightning crashed into the trees, snapping them in half as if they were twigs. Huge limbs flew from the broken oaks, sailing through the air, making Phoenix drop to the ground as one almost impaled her. She quickly jumped back to her feet, wincing as pain ripped through her body, scratches dripping blood onto the earth. It was almost as if the very air was shrieking in anger and pain.

  Vyco’s arms rose high above his head and Sadie’s bruised body levitated off the ground. Her face twisted in pain and Phoenix tried to step forward and reach her, but couldn’t move. She was frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch.

  “It’s not real, Phoenix. You can end this. Use your power within,” Josiah’s voice spoke again. Everything felt real, though. She felt real pain. The look on Sadie’s face was real terror.

  “How do I end it?” Phoenix cried out. Vyco looked away from Sadie for a moment, his eyes glowing with pleasure as he pulled a dagger from his belt and lifted it over Sadie’s form.

  “You can’t end it, Phoenix. You should have taken my offer,” he sneered before focusing his attention back on Sadie.

  “Phoenix, please . . . please help,” Sadie cried. Tears fell from her eyes and she looked at Phoenix like she had betrayed her. “I thought you loved me — I thought . . .” Sadie’s voice trailed off. Sadie would never say that. Phoenix knew her best friend. She’d never think Phoenix would betray her. She’d sacrifice her life for Phoenix as Phoenix would for her.

  “Sadie . . .” Phoenix called, pounding at the invisible barrier between them. “It’s not real,” she shouted over and over, but Vyco was ignoring her, intent on what he was doing.

  Vyco’s arm came down and his knife plunged into Sadie’s body. Blood immediately poured from her back as the blade pierced clear through. Phoenix gazed in shock at the stream of blood that was leaking the life from her best friend.

  “Why . . . Phoenix . . . why,” Sadie gasped, her eyes accusing.

  “No . . . Sadie . . .” Phoenix screamed, her body shaking. Sadie couldn’t die. It was wrong. It was all so wrong. Phoenix screamed over and over again as Vyco’s laughter filled her ears, rising above all other noise. She knew it wasn’t real, but still the pain was all consuming. “Please, Josiah, please help,” she sobbed, unable to take any more.

  “Phoenix, wake up . . . you must wake up. He can’t harm you unless you stay in his world. If you stay too long, you can’t escape. Go back to your family, to Sadie. She’s safe — she’s waiting for you . . .”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Phoenix . . . Phoenix, wake up. It’s just a nightmare, wake up,” Jayden said. He grasped Phoenix’s shoulders, shaking her, though her body was already trembling with fear. He continued to speak, trying to pull her from whatever horror she was in.

  “Sadie!” she shouted again and again. She said nothing else, but the agony in her voice told him he wouldn’t be able to pull her from the nightmare unless she heard her friend’s voice.

  “Get Sadie, now . . . I know it’s the middle of the night, just do it,” Jayden shouted to one of the kids who’d heard the yelling and had come to investigate. Then he pulled Phoenix’s shaking body into his arms, rocking her. She pushed against him, fighting to get away, locked in her nightmare.

  “Phoenix . . .” Sadie said in a sleepy voice. “What’s the matter? Phoenix, wake up,” Sadie called, coming fully awake when she saw her friend thrashing in Jayden’s arms.

  “Sadie,” Phoenix whimpered. Her eyelids began to flutter at the sound of Sadie’s voice. Her body still trembled. Finally, her eyes opened to slits and she turned her head, frantically searching for Sadie.

  “Sadie, are you okay?” Phoenix croaked.

  “I’m right here. I’m fine, Phoenix. It was just a dream. I’m right here,” Sadie soothed her, sitting on the bed next to Jayden. Phoenix’s eyes opened fully and she reached out, clutching at Sadie. She grabbed her shirt and lifted it past her stomach. Then the emotion from the dream spilled over in heaving sobs as she held on tightly to Sadie.

  “So real, it was so real,” Phoenix gasped between sobs.

  “What’s happening?” Larry asked as he entered the room. Phoenix’s cries had awakened him.

  “She had a nightmare. It had something to do with Sadie,” John said, standing guard at the door as if the demons from her nightmare were going to burst in at any moment.

  “It’s okay, Phoenix. Sadie is safe. She’s right here,” Larry said to his grief-stricken daughter.

  “So real,” Phoenix kept saying, not calming down.

  “I promise I’m fine, Phoenix. Nothing has happened to me. I won’t leave you,” Sadie comforted her. Phoenix’s shaking eased as the two girls clung together. “I love you, you know that,” she added with a wobbly smile.

  “Oh, Sadie, it was awful, so evil. It was all my fault. He killed you because I wouldn’t obey him. He just killed you, with an evil look on his face. He’s horrible . . . so depraved,” Phoenix whimpered. Jayden went on alert. It sounded like more than just a nightmare. Vyc
o was after her, and was trying to get to her through her dreams. He had the power to do that, to trap someone in their dreams. He wouldn’t ever allow that to happen to Phoenix. Vyco had to be stopped.

  Jayden’s eyes connected with John, then with Cassidy. They needed to talk — Jayden needed to rant and he couldn’t lose control in front of Phoenix.

  “I’ll be right back, Phoenix,” Jayden said, but he might as well have been talking to the wall. She didn’t hear or see anyone except Sadie. He stepped from the room and walked away, with John and Cassidy following close behind.

  “How much do you know about Vyco?” Jayden asked John.

  “Cassidy has told me everything,” John said. “Did he have anything to do with this?” he asked and looked around, his eyes narrowing.

  “I believe so,” Jayden said. “I’ve been feeling his presence, but I didn’t put the pieces together soon enough. I knew he wasn’t in the cave. None of his minions are here, either. I forgot he could get to mortals through their dreams. He can’t kill them in a dream, but he can trap them in his world through one. If they stay too long, he has them for as long as he wants. To the rest of the world the person would appear to be in a coma, but you can’t imagine the hell they are really going through. He either has to keep them there long enough that they can’t find their way home, or get them to reach out to him. If they willingly take hold of him, they are his.” Jayden’s eyes burned with rage.

  “How can we stop this?” John asked, his hands running through his hair in frustration. He didn’t like an enemy he couldn’t see. He needed something physical he could fight against, not a wisp of air.

  “I don’t know,” Jayden cried. “I’m going to find him.”