The Phoenix Summoner (ON HOLD)

20

That night Anya was restless. Well, she was restless every night due to her night terrors. But tonight was different. When she had returned from her lesson with Baghra, she immediately sat down at her vanity, her legs pulled up to her chest. She had been sitting there for hours thinking over everything she saw in the hallucination. Her childhood, her powers, Kaz. She sat there in front of her mirror for hours thinking over Baghra's words.

'What is holding you back?'

Anya fiddled with the pendant around her neck, running her fingers over. Maybe Baghra had a point. If Kaz had truly cared about her how come he never came after her, or responded to any of the letters she sent. What if the life they dreamed about together as children was just that? A childhood fantasy that was never going to come true. Anya drops the pendant from her fingers and grabs a strand of her hair gently running her fingers down it.

She knew for a fact she wasn't going to be able to sleep with all these lingering thoughts running amuck in her head, so she decided to take a walk. She found herself walking through the quiet desolate halls when she saw a light seeping through one of the doors. She reached the door pushing it ever so slightly to find Aleksander standing over the war table. He looked disheveled as if he too was having trouble sleeping that night.

Aleksander hears his door creek. He turns his head seeing Anya quietly step through the door in her nightwear.

"Am I disturbing you?" She asks quietly. He smiles lightly holding out a hand for her to take.

"Never." She takes his hand moving closer to him. She tucks herself close to his body looking over at the war table.

"Can't sleep? Is it the night terrors again?" He asks looking down to meet her eyes. She shakes her head.

"Just to many thoughts...is this map current." It just occurs to her that she hasn't sat in on a war council meeting in weeks. Not since discovering she was the Phoenix Summoner.

"It is. Our enemies are threatened by yours and Alinas mere existence." Anya looks down letting out a sigh

"With all the talk of uprising in the West....are own people are turning their backs on us just as they once did with the Black Heretic. How are we suppose to reunite all of Ravka when people are terrified of us?" Anya places her hands on the table looking down.

"Because you have provided hope. Hope the people of Ravka need to see that we have a chance to restore peace to the world. I have buried so many good soldiers...friends." Aleksander says. The room begins to fill with darkness, but Anya's attention only remains on the man before her.

"The coffers are running dry, and the noose tightens...and our people are turning against Grisha, just as their kin once did."

Anya grabs onto Aleksander's causing her power to flow out of her body. The red and gold tendrils fly around the room causing the darkness to shrivel away into nothing. Her hair rises around her head and her eyes flash gold. He stares at her in awe feeling her power flow though him. She pulls away and her power fades.

"You're not alone...it's like you said, Ravka has hope now." Aleksander places his hand on Anya's cheek pulling her face closer to him. He gently kisses her forehead before looking down to meet her eyes.

"I have been waiting a long time for you." She leans into his body wrapping her arms around her. They stay locked in each other's embrace for what felt like hours. Anya begins to pull away to leave when Aleksander pulls her back in.

"Stay." He whispers. She looks at him hesitantly. Yes, they have been in a room alone several times together, but they have never spent a full night together.

'You have everything people would die for....a home, a man who loves you.' Baghra's words echo through her mind. Baghra was right. Anya nodded and they both went to bed in each other's arms. Anya reaches for the pendant in her hands examining it. She knew what needed to be done. With one yank the necklace came off and she let it slip through her fingers letting it hit the floor with a soft 'ting'

'It's time to let the past die.' She thought as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep