The Last Phoenix- Book 1 of the Legends of Henge Series

Chapter 39

"I can't let you do that," I told Lark. She looked confused but it quickly turned to relief. I felt my heart constrict in my throat, thumping more painfully.

"Thank god you stopped me, she was controlling me and trying to kill her baby," she sighed. I looked down at the collapsed figure of Asteria. She had overexerted herself. Lark hadn't noticed yet. "We have to get her to safety. Make sure that baby isn't taken by someone who would use them. I'm sure the Foxfire Council can do something about it." I never dropped my arms. Lark looked at me funny. "Come on, you need to help." I avoided her eyes, looking instead at the unconscious form of Asteria.

"No, I need to ensure that baby's safety," I spoke defiantly, the tense muscles in my shoulders feeling as though they might break. Lark narrowed her eyes. She was getting closer to the truth.

"What are you-"

She's betraying you.

I shuddered at the sound of his voice in my head yet again. Lark only glared defiantly around her. 

"Clearly, you don't know her. She would never betray me," she yelled into the darkness. She was so naive... I almost wanted to tell her she was right. I would never betray her. I didn't want to at least.

But there was no escaping him. He'd always drag me back into the game.

"Lark," she turned to me with pleading eyes, willing me to say it wasn't true. But we both knew she believed him and I couldn't lie to her anymore. 

"You're not a traitor," Lark said firmly, when I didn't say anything. "I know you. I know you wouldn't do this to me." Her words came more and more frantically, as though willing them to be true. They had to be. Even I wanted to believe them. 

She was putting the last few puzzle pieces together. Thinking back over my odd behavior over the last few weeks, wondering about my knowledge of things that most people didn't. My panic and obvious familiarity with what this place was. I hadn't even been trying in the last few hours to hide much from her. And now it was all coming together. If it weren't for her unending trust in me, she would have realized sooner. When she saw him, it would only confirm her suspicions.

And that's what would crush me. Seeing the small hope in her eyes, the hope that I was innocent, be vanquished by anger and disgust. I didn't want to see that and so, I kept my eyes trained on the ground.

"How-how could you?" her voice was small and I almost lowered my weapon. The hurt in her voice was unbearable. She was broken. I had broken her.

Now you only need to finish the damage.

"Lark," I took a step towards her but she backed away. Had she heard him too? 

I'm proud of you... You hurt her with this betrayal... Just like I asked.

"You said that a good person would always tell the truth. Where's the truth?" Lark screamed, each word twisting the dagger further into my heart. I felt like cowering away from her, screaming with her. She was right. But she had no idea how right she was. I was a murderer, a thief, and I shouldn't have existed.

"You're right-"

"No, you don't get to say anything! You're a coward Bailey Parker!" 

Hmmmmm, well, that was fun. You probably could have guessed because it wasn't truly well hidden who it was but it was still a fun reveal. Of course, it was a really short chapter but that's alright.

Question of the Chapter: What do you think the villain, Crevan, is exactly? What are his goals and what do you think he wants to use the phoenix for?

My Answer: is not relevant because that would be spoilers so goodbye!

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I reverse hate you all!!!