Kindling of Frost and Ashes (Phoenix Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 27: Journey Begins Again

Gwen hugged Phoenix tight at the front door of the mayor's home. "Be safe, and take care of those boys." She slugged Maverick on the shoulder. "This guy needs to come back."

"If I see your mom again," Phoenix began, but Gwen shook her head.

"She made her choice. My brother, too. I can't expect you to save them."

"Who's that?" Castor pointed down the road to where a young boy ran at top speed toward them. He came to a stop, doubling over and heaving heavy breaths as he sought words.

"I'm...looking...for..." he waved a letter about, still sucking air, "the...Commander. They sent me...here."

Eric jumped off the small porch and approached the boy, snatching the letter out of his hands. Phoenix watched as Eric tore it open, his eyes widened as they perused the letter.

"They've escaped." He whirled around to Castor. "The remaining Army troops--they've escaped the dungeons. This is from Port."

Phoenix saw Maverick and Gwen give Bainon a glare and a smirk. The king grinned at them.

"He says Roman set them free--the entire dungeon." Eric looked up at Gwen. "Your mother is probably with them."

Gwen let out a shuddering breath and nodded while Bainon patted her on the back. Castor dropped down the steps, stopping by Eric to read over his shoulder.

"Roman's not with them," Castor said. "When they exited the castle, he wasn't there--neither was Noelle, whom they also released."

"Which means Aundreya got to them first," Maverick said.

"It also means Roman has moments of clarity," Phoenix added. "Aundreya's hold is weakening. At least at times--otherwise why would he have let them all go?"

"I only hope he can hold out long enough for us to get to him," Maverick said. "I don't want to fight Roman--his speed is unbeatable."

"Not unbeatable," Eric mumbled, folding up the letter. "Just unmatchable." He looked up at them. "If he must be fought, I'll fight him."

"But--" Phoenix began. Eric held up a hand.

"He's your friend. Neither of you would have what it takes. You won't be willing to do what's necessary. If we come against him, I'll be the one who puts him down."

Phoenix glanced at Maverick, whose face had paled just as she assumed hers had. She hadn't thought about what it would mean to actually fight their friends.

"And Noelle?" she asked, still looking at Mav. "Who takes on Noelle if she's against us?"

"You do," Eric said, frowning at her. "I can resist Aundreya and avoid being affected, but you are the one who sees past her lies. You're the only one who is immune. If Noelle amplifies her sister, I may go under, but you won't. You have to stop them."

"Stopping the twins," Gwen said, eyes wide. "That won't be easy."

"Hopefully we won't have to do it," Phoenix said, swallowing hard. "Hopefully we can find Noelle and remove her before Aundreya knows we're there."

"If she's willing to leave," Bainon said, voicing Phoenix's concern.

"She has to be." Phoenix's chest tightened. "She has to."

"What do you want to do about this?" Castor asked, gesturing to the letter in Eric's hand. Eric glanced back down at the boy who had regained his wind.

"How far away are they?" he asked. "Do you know?"

"That was passed to me at the gate," the boy said. "He offered me three gold coins to run it the rest of the way. I think there were at least six runners before me. He said to pass on that they would split up and wait to hear'."

"Then they'll be ready," Eric said, turning to Castor. "Can you go to them? As Samson? Find them and tell them to circle back to Osha--"

"With beeswax for their ears," Phoenix added.

"--and be ready for whatever comes?" Eric finished.

Castor hesitated, glancing from Eric to Phoenix and then Altair. "I'm not sure I should--"

"We'll keep an eye on them," Finny said. "None of us are going with them, and we knew that already. We'll watch him for you."

Turning back to Eric, Castor nodded. "I'll track them and let them know." His focus flickered only briefly to Phoenix. "Beeswax."

They'd come up with it only that morning, and Phoenix felt almost stupid for none of them thinking of it before. They weren't sure if Aundreya's gift would work when the people she directed it at couldn't hear her. They'd sent word through carrier pigeons, hoping the other towns received them in time to try and find the supplies. Beeswax wasn't exactly common in the north or east, and there might be trouble for some of the towns to find it.

With only a few more hugs and parting words, Phoenix, Maverick and Eric set off for Osha, while Castor disappeared on his errand to find the Army. Gwen and Bainon were staying behind to watch after Trey and Audra, while Finny and Altair kept a protective eye on everyone.

What could possibly go wrong?

#

They traveled for hours without much talking, having borrowed horses from Quarten's stables to get them there faster. Phoenix's heart felt heavy with fear over what she'd see when she returned to Osha, when she saw Noelle.

She'll be there. She'll come back. She has to.

"If Noelle really has lost her soul to darkness," Eric said when they stopped for dinner, as though he'd heard her very thoughts, "what do we do?"

"Carry her off as our prisoner," Maverick suggested, dropping down before the fire Phoenix had created. "That way she can't amplify Aundreya, but she isn't dead, either."

"And maybe gives us time to bring her back," Phoenix agreed, pulling out supplies for their meal. They were in a cops of trees along the southern boarder, only two days' ride from Osha.

Eric frowned at both of them. "You're going to have to be ready for the worst."

"Why?" Maverick asked, his face stony. "Why do we have to assume--"

"Because you'll be ready when you face it." Eric accepted his rations from Phoenix. "You can't go into battle thinking your enemy will lay down their weapons and offer you kittens. Neither of you understand--you've barely seen battle, but I grew up in the middle of it."

"There weren't any battles while we were growing up," Phoenix countered, arching a brow at him.

"The battles weren't physical, Phe," Eric said, leveling his gaze at her. "Every day of my life was a battle against what I knew and what the world was telling me. It was a battle of pleasing Narissa. It was a battle for survival. You have to face every situation as though it's the worst possible thing that could happen--if it turns out better than that, that's great, but if it's bad, you're prepared. You know how to face it."

"Where's the hope in that?" Phoenix asked. "Hope keeps us going."

"As long as it doesn't get you killed, have all the hope you want," Eric said, not smiling. "But the last thing I want is to lose more people I care about. You're the last family I have left."

"That's not true," Maverick said through a mouthful. "You have your parents."

They got into a discussion of what makes a parent while Phoenix sat quiet. That wriggling feeling of having forgotten something hit her again. It was important, whatever it was, and it mattered to Eric. She brushed it off, gazing out into the setting sun.

"I say we ride through the night."

We're getting closer to everyone being at Osha! Okay, not everyone, but a lot of people! AH! Do you think Phoenix, Eric and Mav will succeed, or fail miserably?