Scorched (Phoenix Chronicles Book 2)

Chapter 43: Snake in the Grass

"What you're saying," Bainon rested his elbows on his desk, his brows low on his forehead, "has merit. I'm not sure your - Narissa would go for it."

"Who's king?" Eric asked, arching a brow. "You, or Narissa?"

"Touché." Bainon rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "It won't be easy."

"Nothing worth fighting for ever is." Phoenix glanced at Eric, who nodded in encouragement. "Your Majesty, wouldn't you rather save the lives of your men, your people? What will war do to Osha? To the economy? Not just any war - civil war. Mother against daughter and brother against brother?"

"I've already fought brother against brother," Bainon said, his tone dark. "That's how I ended up here in the first place." He eyed Phoenix warily. "You were raised by my sister?"

"She was the greatest woman I've ever known," Phoenix said, a lump rising in her throat. "One of the last things she ever told me was that you were her favorite brother."

It was Bainon's turn to try and clear the emotion from his throat. "I didn't - I thought - I never heard from her again. I didn't know what happened to her."

"Does this mean you're willing to meet with your nephew?" Eric asked. "Will you talk peace...without Narissa?"

#

Noelle awoke before the sun, someone rustling nearby. Keeping her body still, she turned her head and peered through the darkness. Mygel knelt near Gwen's sleeping form, something in her hands. It wasn't a weapon, but instantly Noelle knew it wasn't safe. Her heart pounded, and she decided to act fast.

She sat upright, screaming at the top of her lungs.

People woke up all around her, and those keeping watch on the perimeter came rushing in. Maverick, to her left, shot up, fists raised as Roman yelped and bounded to his feet as well, his long hair in dissaray.

"What is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"Who screamed?"

"What's happening?"

Choruses of panic echoed all around, and Noelle stared around just as confused. "Did you hear that?" she asked Roman, twisting around in her bed roll, eyes wide and innocent.

"It sounded like Canya," Roman said, his voice thick with sleep. "Could she have escaped?"

"It wasn't Canya." Mygel stood nearby, stuffing something into her trouser pockets as she stared around. "But I thought it came from by you." She gestured to Noelle, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

"I don't think I can scream that loud," Noelle said, maintaining her wide-eyed naivete, wrapping her arms around herself. Apparently growing up with Aundreya had prepared her more than she realized.

"Why would Noelle scream?" Youlden asked, sitting relaxed, his eyes on Mygel. "Unless she had something to scream about?"

Gwen, who hadn't said a word, let out a yelp and rolled away from where she'd been lying. "Snake!"

"Snake?" Roman appeared at Gwen's side, moving almost too fast to see. He pulled Gwen to her feet, away from her bedroll and stared down. "It is a snake. It's an Echis. They aren't supposed to live outside the desert. Everyone stay back!"

"How do you know what an Echis looks like?" Mygel asked, sounding both surprised and annoyed.

"I love snakes." Roman moved closer to it, squatting down and staying on light feet. "My mother found me every book on them she could get in our village, even ordering away for ones from the capital. Hah!" He jutted out, grabbing onto the snake and righting himself. He held the snake's head in his hands, incapacitating it.