Scorched (Phoenix Chronicles Book 2)

Chapter 6: Awake Again

Phoenix pushed to her feet, brushing off a few blades of grass clinging to the backside of her trousers. She glanced around, searching for Castor again but seeing no one - no light. With a sigh, she started off back to the hidden campsite, her thoughts still with Eric. 

As she tiptoed back into the array of sleeping bodies, a rustling sound caused her pause. Looking up, Phoenix saw Youlden had woken while she'd been away. He now sat frowning up at her. When she noticed him, he gestured to a place beside him, and she joined him.

"Now, I know it's not exactly fair because you can't lie, but when I ask you what I'm going to ask you, I want you to remember I didn't wake up Roman, Finny, or your brother and let them know you were missing. I had a feeling you'd left of your own accord, as there wasn't a sound of scuffle." Youlden cleared his throat. "Where'd you go, Phe?" 

Phoenix fought against the desire to say nothing, knowing Youlden really had helped her by not telling Maverick or Finny that she was missing.

"I went to meet with Castor." 

Youlden blinked, and at first Phoenix wasn't sure he remembered who that was. Then his brows arched. "You spoke to Eric's Guardian?"

"He's a Watcher, not a Guardian. Everyone gets that confused. Eric's a Guardian, like me." Like you, she almost added, still thinking of the marks covered by Youlden's gloves. "Watchers observe their charges, and they try to help guide them, but they aren't supposed to get too involved the way a Guardian can."

"But isn't it getting involved if someone else's Watcher is meeting with you?"

"Maybe, but I asked for Castor's help. I wanted to try to communicate with Eric through dreams. That's how some of them do it - they talk to their charges in dreams. Castor came down so I could go into Eric's dream with him."

"They can come down here?" 

Phoenix stifled a chuckle. "Well, yes. I mean - that's what Finny is. A Watcher in Braskey."

"Oh, right." Youlden glanced over at Finny's sleeping form. "But Finny is really involved, isn't she? And she's not just here for Maverick - she helps all of us."

"I think Finny is a rebel amongst Ancients," Phoenix said with a grin, which faded as she thought more about them. "Although, I don't know why they're called Ancients."

"What do you mean?"

"Castor's young - well, in terms of years. There's no time up there." She pointed to the sky. "When they're with Adonai, they're outside time."

"Makes sense."

Phoenix snorted. "It does?"

"Of course. I wouldn't expect Adonai to be some little old man who lived for thousands of years, would you? I'd think he was...ageless. Neither young nor old. He's the universe itself. That's not exactly a human equivalent."

"True. I guess with the name 'Ancient' I just assumed they were all old, regardless of how they looked." She glanced over at Finny again. "Finny used to look really old."

"Because she was down here so long, right?" Youlden asked. Phoenix nodded. "From what I read, the name 'Ancient' wasn't their name for themselves, but rather humans' names for them. In the histories it said when Tremaine first came down, he knew so much about all that had already happened that those around him believed he must be an ancient being."

"That's how they got their names?"

Youlden nodded. "According to legend, they called themselves Stars before people here renamed them."