The Phoenix Stone

Chapter Twenty

"Nyx," a voice hissed, piercing the darkness.

I jumped to my feet, swiping my hand across my eyes trying to hide that I'd been crying. "Who's there?!"

A slightly manical laugh echoed around the otherwise empty block of cells. It seemed to be coming from the shadows near the entrance of the room. "Guess who."

I shook my head violently. "Show yourself!" I spotted a sharp-ish looking rock lying near the entrance of my cell. Darting forward, I picked it up and held it out in front of me like a weapon. "I'm armed, and I'm not afraid to use my weapon!" I called, a nervous tremor wavering in my voice.

Another laughed. "Oh, Nyx. Stop it! It's just me!" A small figure in a dark cloak emerged from the shadows, the cowl covering its face.

"Efia?" I dropped the stone and clutched my chest, relieved that it was only my sister. "What are you doing down here so late?" I glanced up at the window, gauging how late it was by how dark it was outside. "It's nearly midnight, isn't it?"

"Yes. But that's not the point." She brought out a jangling chain of keys. "The point is, I'm breaking you out."

"Oh." I walked back to where I'd been sitting and sat back down, turning my back on her. "No thank you."

"What?!" She was shocked. "I come all the way down here just for you to tell me, 'no'? No, no, no, no, no. Not a chance." She unlocked the gate and came in, crouching down next to me. "Where's your vigor?"

I tried to turn my face away but she saw my tears before I could turn away.

"Nyx? What's wrong?"

I replied, but she couldn't hear what I said because I was mumbling into my arm. She told me so, so I repeated myself, tears streaking down my cheeks all the while. "Our father is an evil murderer who probably intends to kill us all! He killed Mother first, then Grandmother! He's probably killed more people than that too, but still. He killed his own family!"

"What? He killed our grandmother? Which one?"

I pointed to the cloak covered body lying in the next cell over. "That one."

Efia rushed over to the next cell, unlocked it, and ran in, kneeling beside the body. Slowly she peeled back the cloak, gasping when she saw our dead grandmother.

I looked away, not wanting to see her face again as it would bring on another fresh batch of tears.

Efia was sobbing, holding onto Grandmother's cold, stiff hand. "I never remembered you, but I feel as though I've known you for my entire life and more," she whispered softly.

A few moments later she shuffled back into my cell. "I'm sorry, Nyx."

I said nothing in response.

"How did my...I mean...our father kill her?" she asked, crouching next to me and placing her warm hand on my back. "It doesn't look like she was murdered."

"That's because...he was the one who...sent her down here and left her to...die!" I sniffled. "He ordered the Enchantiss to...take her...And he ordered her to be put down here...That's why it's...his fault!"

She nodded slowly, processing what I'd said. "I understand that you're mad at him, but it looks like she died from sickness. My...our father couldn't have made her sick so how is it his fault?"

I flung my arms in the air, frustration seeping into my words, "I already told you! He sent her down here and left her here. The dampness probably got to her lungs making her sick and then she died. It is his fault and until you can prove otherwise I'm going to continue to believe that."