Kindling of Frost and Ashes (Phoenix Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 16: Altered Altair

A sound of someone approaching drew Phoenix's attention and she looked up.

Canya stepped forward, watching them with an impassive expression. "I had hoped this is how it would end. It could have gone two ways."

Phoenix felt Eric seize up against her, and she held him tighter to keep him from escaping her grasp. "What are you doing here?" she asked, struggling against her brother's strength.

"He needed to see me again. You needed him distracted. I complied." Canya tilted her head and considered Phoenix. "You had to die--you realize that, right?"

Losing the battle against Eric, Phoenix released him. He shoved forward toward Canya, but a strong pair of arms pulled him back. Castor kept Eric on his feet, but didn't let him take another step forward.

"She had to die," Canya repeated, cocking her head at Eric. "Or else she wouldn't have lived."

"She was dying already," Castor said. "Her body burning from the inside out. Canya's stabbing gave her a chance to renew. To heal."

Eric stopped pulling against Castor, steadily glaring at Canya. "Why didn't you just tell her? Why did you have to--"

"Would you have believed me if I told you, 'die or else you'll die'?"

Phoenix let out a little snort of laughter. "Not when you put it that way. No."

"I still don't understand," Eric said, jerking his arm free of Castor. "How could you possibly know?"

"Can I come out now?" a young voice called. Phoenix whirled around to see a little boy with dark hair and brown skin stepping into the street. Wisdom lit his eyes and grey markings lined his hands.

Phoenix had to search her newly returned memories for his name, her tongue fumbling over it. "T-trey?"

The little boy grinned at her, stopping at Canya's side. "Phoenix! She said you'd be okay." He tugged at Canya's sleeve. "You can come out now."

Canya, Phoenix noticed had grown very pale. She shook her head. "No. Not yet. The key is still outside the lock and the graves are all piling up."

Phoenix arched a brow at Altair, who frowned and shook his head. Trey, however, seemed to understand and nodded. He turned to the rest of them.

"There are more coming. I wanted to see this part."

Phoenix opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but the sound of feet on cobblestones caught her attention. Everyone had stayed inside, not daring to leave amidst the strange battle of the Guardians and their Watchers. But now, it seemed, someone had braved their way into the streets.

Phoenix turned and saw four people standing at the cross of the north road, a young man with auburn hair at the front, his face twisting in a cascade of emotions. Many times now Phoenix had seen these expressions cross someone's face at the sight of her, but she was never able to return the feeling.

This time, though, she knew him.

"Maverick?" she whispered, barely able to believe it. He stared at her, dumbstruck, with Gwen--yes, that was her name--Gwen at his side. There were others with them, but Phoenix only had eyes for the boy she'd grown up with - the one she'd seen in Eric's memories.

Her other brother.

"MAVERICK!" She shouted, blowing past Altair as she sprinted toward him. He stood frozen, as though he couldn't believe it to be true.

She hit him with the speed of a runaway horse, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing as hard as she could. His arms clumsily found their way around her, squeezing back, seeing who could squeeze tighter and make the other give up.