Phoenix Ashes Master

by Anne, Melody

  “From everything I’ve witnessed in the last several years, I worry all of the time. When we start getting too comfortable, terrible things begin happening again. I really want to be his wife, maybe even have babies someday. I’m not nearly ready for it now, but I dream of eventually living in houses next to each other while we raise our girls together.”

  “What if we have boys?” Phoenix teased.

  “Then we hand those over to their father’s and we keep trying,” Sadie answered with a giggle. Sadie really was a girly-girl, where Phoenix was much more of a tomboy. It was a miracle they loved each other so much. Their differences only made their friendship that much stronger. They’d be best friends until the day they died.

  “Come with me. I need to tell my mom. Maybe we can dig through some of the things they brought with us from home. I hope Mom kept some trinkets from her own wedding day that I can use,” Sadie said as she pulled Phoenix up.

  It didn’t take them long to find Sadie’s mom, Megan. She was lying down reading in her room.

  “Hi, Mom. Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s meeting with Larry to go over some new procedures. I wanted a night off to read, but visiting is much better than a book. It seems as if I never get to sit down with my two favorite girls and chat anymore,” Megan said as she set down her book and sat up, patting the side of the bed so Phoenix and Sadie could join her.

  “I’m getting married,” Sadie blurted as she held up her hand. For the briefest of seconds, a look of sadness passed over Megan’s face, but she quickly smiled, making Phoenix think that maybe she’d imagined it.

  “I’m so happy for you, baby girl. You’re still so young, but times have changed, haven’t they? We need to make this day as special as we can.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I know I’m young, and if this was the real world, I’d be getting ready to head off to college with Phoenix, hopefully still dating Brian, but not in such a hurry to rush down the aisle. But, it’s different now, and I can’t think of anything I want more than to be with him forever. I really love him.”

  “He truly loves you too, Sadie. I can see it in the way he looks at you, always reaching for your hand when he knows you’re nearby. He’ll make a fine husband,” Megan reassured her.

  The three of them sat in Megan’s room for hours as they discussed wedding plans and how to make Sadie’s day extraordinary. By the time her dad got there and cried when he found out he had to give his little girl away, it was really late. Phoenix was both excited for her best friend, and yet sad that Jayden hadn’t asked her to marry him, though she did a great job of hiding her minor envy.

  She didn’t think she was necessarily ready yet to wed, but she wanted him to want to spend eternity with her. She shook off her self-pity and walked arm-in-arm with Sadie back to their rooms.

  They stayed together that night, talking until nearly dawn about their futures — or at least what they hoped their futures would be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  *** Phoenix ***

  Sadie’s getting married. I’m thrilled for her, knowing how very much she deserves a happy ending. Still, there’s a small, very minuscule piece of me that’s filled with envy.

  I’ve told myself I don’t want to wed until after the war is finished, I’d prefer to wait, but I’m not only lying to others, I'm lying to myself as well. I love Jayden with all of my heart — and I want to stand next to him while we vow to stay true to one another.

  I really want him to stay home with me, quit leaving on these dangerous missions, and hold me every single night. It seems I’m one of the last of the girls my age to still be unmarried. Is Jayden truly hesitant because of the war, or is it because I’m not an immortal and he knows I’ll die one day?

  I know he loves me, I can feel it when I’m in his arms. I’m suddenly feeling so insecure because we haven’t been together enough. When he first came to the caves, we were together every minute of every day, and now I’m lucky to see him once a week.

  Sadie and Brian don’t see each other nearly as much these days, either, but their love is still holding strong. Of course, Sadie hadn’t almost fallen in love with another guy like I did. I still think about Devon sometimes — not in a romantic way, but he was my friend, there for me when my world was falling apart.

  Why does every single day have to be so difficult? When will all of this get easier? I have so much more than others to be thankful for that I feel guilty putting these selfish thoughts on paper, but I’m reassured that the only way anyone will ever read these books is if I die. At least if they think I’m a spoiled brat, I won’t know about it. I’m exhausted. It feels like ages since I’ve slept uninterrupted. I might choose to rip this entire page out once I get a full night's rest. For now, I think it’s time to sleep . . .

  Midnight chimed its silent melody and Phoenix tossed in her bed, unaware of the cold sweat breaking out over her body. In her dreamlike state, she was sprinting through the forest, trying to outrace the darkness, running from an enemy she couldn’t escape.

  “Why do you continue to fight me? I’ve shown you the end, Phoenix. I’ve shown you what you can become, so why resist? We can create magic together if only you will join me,” Vyco taunted.

  “Why do you keep pursuing me? I don’t want to be with you — I’ve made my stand. Is it because you want what you can’t have? You’ve been defeated before, and we’ll continue to break you down until the day you cease to exist, and then the world will gather in a triumphant celebration,” Phoenix snarled.

  The dreams were so real, but she now had more control over them. She sent a smile his way before closing her eyes. When they reopened, the two of them were standing in her favorite dream meadow, the birds chirping, the flowers blooming, and the sun shining bright around them.

  Vyco might be able to drag her to his world, but she’d somehow managed to transport them where she wanted to be. If only she could stop him from taking her prisoner inside of her own head. She was getting stronger — she’d eventually figure out a way to block him.

  As if knowing what she was thinking, his eyes narrowed, red glowing from their centers. He took a menacing step closer. Instead of trembling in fear, she gave him a smug look, not allowing him the victory of her fear. She’d hide the terror she felt in his presence, because the more power he felt he had over her, the stronger he was. Without fear, he was weak, almost pathetic.

  “You’re getting stronger — but not strong enough to defeat me. I like your strength, Phoenix. It’s one of the reasons I won’t rest until I have you by my side. You’ll come. I've yet to be denied what I want,” he said confidently, his expression relaxing as if they were doing nothing more than having a nice chat.

  Phoenix laughed, an almost enchanting, musical sound erupting from her throat. She was startled by the foreign noise as it had been so long since she’d heard it.

  “You’ve been denied several times, Vyco. You lost Jayden, me — and actually, you lost the war from the start. You might be controlling some men on this planet. You might have your minions to do your bidding, but you are still losing. As we speak, people grow stronger, fight harder, and give more of themselves. You’ll never take my soul, and you’ll never have Jayden back. Game over!”

  Phoenix felt a sense of triumph at the look of rage returning to his face. He swiftly managed to taper it back down, snuffing out some of her victory.

  “I have someone you want, Phoenix, a real prize, indeed. I’ve enjoyed my time with him,” Vyco mocked. Phoenix didn’t want to fall for his bait, but what if he did have someone she cared about? He’d managed to get his hands on Jayden once, torturing him in horrific ways. During that time, to make Phoenix feel even worse about herself, she’d been secure in the arms of Devon, allowing the boy to comfort her — hold her to him while betraying Jayden. The guilt still lodged deep inside her, coming up to torment her when she was vulnerable.

  How would she know if the vision was true? Vyco had killed Sadie in
a dream, making it seem so real. He was capable of deceiving her, even though he hadn’t done so in a while. She needed to wake up. This nightmare was taking a severe turn for the worse — giving Vyco the upper hand he was so confident he could get.

  She called for Jayden.

  “I’ve blocked your connection with Jayden. He can’t hear your cries,” Vyco mocked with a laugh. “You might be growing stronger, learning how to control some aspects to our little visits, but I’ve learned a few new tricks of my own. You won’t leave until I’m ready to let you.”

  “Think what you want, Vyco. It’s useless to speak to me; I won’t play your games.”

  “What about speaking to him,” Vyco said as he snapped his fingers and a person appeared beside him. Phoenix nearly fell to her knees. No! This couldn’t be. It had to be false. Vyco couldn’t have Devon. He was a good soul who had to have gone to the light.

  “Don’t listen to him, Phoenix,” Devon urged. Vyco backhanded him, sending him to the ground, blood oozing from his broken nose.

  Phoenix rushed to his side, touching him, feeling his warm body. She looked into his eyes — they were filled with the same loving expression as the last time she’d held him in her arms while he took his last breath. He’d died to save her. Why wouldn’t Josiah have come for him?

  “I don’t know why or how I ended up here, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re safe. Don’t listen to him no matter what he does to me. If you let him win, my death means nothing,” Devon said.

  They were interrupted by the sound of Vyco clapping his hands as he laughed with delight.

  “Well, isn’t this so tragic? The boy who loved you so much that you caused his death, and the girl with a choice to make. You seem to destroy all those who care about you, don’t you, Phoenix? People keep dying because of you — dropping at your feet like flies. You selfish little girl, the thing you’re not thinking about is the hell they go through even after death. Your precious Devon is quite amusing, and I’ve taken great pleasure in torturing him. I’ll continue to enjoy it, just like I’ll torture your best friend, Sadie . . . your parents . . . your brother . . . and everyone else you have ever loved. I’m tired of waiting. You either come to me . . . or watch them all die, not only on Earth, but over and over again in the afterlife. I’ll make them wish they’d never existed. I’m not an enemy you want to take for granted. It would be much wiser for you to become my ally.”

  Vyco held out his hand as he stepped closer. Phoenix squeezed her eyes shut, calling for Jayden. She had to wake up. She couldn’t stand to stay in this dream world with Vyco while he tortured Devon in front of her. She’d made her choice — she’d chosen Jayden, but she cared deeply for Devon. She always would.

  Devon shrieked in pain, causing Phoenix to tremble. If she opened her eyes, she knew she would relent to Vyco. She’d do anything to make the torture stop. She heard a ripping noise, followed by another anguished cry from Devon.

  Before she could open her eyes and give in to Vyco, she was rushing through the air, the familiar feeling of being pulled from the dream world washing over her. Jayden must’ve heard her cries for help. When she opened her eyes, Jayden was holding her, trailing a cool rag across her forehead.

  “I almost gave in that time,” she whispered, her body shaking, and her soul miserable at the extreme pain in Jayden’s eyes.

  “You can’t, Phoenix. You can never give in to him. Look how strong you’ve become. He tried to block you from calling to me and he failed. He’s the one who’s weakening. Don’t give him your soul,” Jayden said.

  “He has Devon. He was doing unimaginable things to him,” Phoenix cried as she curled into Jayden, her body shaking from the aftermath of the dream.

  “No, Phoenix, he doesn’t have him. Devon’s in the light,” Jayden said, the words obviously painful for him to say. He knew how much Phoenix had come to care about Devon, and the thought of her loving another was extremely painful for him.

  “No. He has him. You weren’t there — you don’t know . . .” she insisted.

  “It was just another of his black deceptions, Phoenix. I promise you.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she demanded, her sobs quieting as she tried to listen.

  “Because I’m here.”

  Phoenix’s head whipped around as Jayden’s body tensed. Devon was standing in the room, looking strong and beautiful, light emanating from his body. Her heart clenched as Jayden’s arms clasped even more tightly around her. Their eyes met and warmth filled her as relief eased the ache in her body. Devon . . .

  Chapter Twenty

  *** Elise ***

  Elise was losing the battle as her head was forced onto the cold cement. She could hear her kids whimpering, their exhaustion overpowering them to the point that they couldn’t scream anymore.

  It was over. They’d never make it out alive. She said a silent prayer that they’d kill her and her children quickly . . . and that there was an afterlife where they could finally take eternal refuge. It had to be better than this world she’d found herself in. Just as she started sinking into a blanket of darkness, the man about to torture her was yanked back, releasing her in surprise. It happened so fast she was still frozen in place at the thought of him possibly leering over her, waiting for the moment she tried to run. He seemed to like his power over her.

  She heard a scream, loud steps against the sidewalk and a gurgling sound — then everything went eerily silent. There wasn’t even a whimper from her children. She was afraid to open her eyes — afraid of what she was going to see.

  With fear eating her alive, she slowly rose from the cement, warily opening her eyes, looking around in disbelief.

  The predatory men were lying motionless in a pool of their own blood. Gabe was still lying on the ground, his chest moving up and down, but his eyes open wide as he gazed to his right. Cheryl was curled up in a ball, shaking, and Cathy was sitting up with a terrified gaze in the same direction as Gabe. Mikey wasn’t moving, still slumped against the pavement in the exact position he’d been shoved.

  Elise’s eyes quickly darted in the direction her children were staring, and spotted a large man wearing jeans and a jacket, sheathing his knife securely to his belt. He turned his head and met Elise’s gaze.

  She didn’t know what to expect. Obviously the man had saved her, but had he done it because he wanted her for himself, or was he one of the good guys? Her body tensed as she anticipated his next move.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Miss. I do need to check the kids for injuries right now, though. Can you move okay?” he gently asked, his voice calm and quiet as if he was afraid to startle her. He was smart to speak in such a tone because she wasn’t sure she could handle anything else.

  When she didn’t answer, he cautiously approached Gabe and knelt down in front of him.

  “How does that head of yours feel? It looks as if you hit it pretty hard so I need to ask you a couple questions, okay? I’m not here to hurt you. I won’t touch you unless you say something hurts real bad, then I’ll need to touch you to find out if there’s a broken bone.” He looked at Gabe and waited for about ten seconds before Gabe gave him a slight consenting nod of the head.

  Holding up his hand, he asked how many fingers were raised. Gabe correctly answered, his voice barely above a whisper. The man asked several more questions before smiling at the small boy and walking over to Mikey. He laid his fingers on Mikey’s neck, then moved them around his body, before leaning down and listening to his chest.

  After several moments, he got up and walked over to Cheryl, who was still curled up in a ball. He touched her shoulder and she whimpered, finally causing Elise’s muscles to unlock, instinctively going into protection mode, allowing her to move toward her daughter.

  Now that the initial terror was over, and the stranger didn’t seem as if he wanted to harm them, shock was starting to set in. Pain ripped through her head as the blows from the man registered. S
he got to her feet, her legs shaking as she went to Cathy's side, sat down, and laid her hand comfortingly on her daughter’s arm.

  At her mother’s gentle touch, Cathy burst into tears and jumped into her mother’s lap. She sobbed on her shoulder, the terror and pain of the last several minutes rolling out of her.

  “It’s okay, baby. Shh, it’s okay, Mama’s here.”

  Elise comforted her daughter while Gabe rose to his feet with great effort and limped to her, lowering himself to find relief nestled beside his family. He was shaking, and one lone tear escaped his eye before he stiffened his shoulders and leaned his head against her. She rubbed his shoulders, careful to avoid touching his head where a bit of blood was still seeping from a wound.

  The man picked Cheryl up and brought her to Elise, laying her down on the other half of her lap before he knelt in front of them.

  “My name is Drake. We need to get you somewhere safe where we can bandage your wounds and give you a couple of days to recover. I think our best bet would be to find an empty house. I have a few days’ worth of food and water that I’ll share. I don’t want to rush you, but there are a lot of bad men out here and it’s not safe to stay in the open. The kids need to get warm before shock sets in.”

  “How’s Mikey?” Elise asked, wondering why Drake hadn’t brought him to her.

  “I’m really sorry . . .”

  Elise choked on a sob rising from her heart. Mikey was gone. He was so young, barely a baby, and he was gone. Her body had taken so much up to this point and all she could do was dry heave over and over, nothing coming up, wishing she could throw up all of the sorrow, despair, and intense feelings of guilt she felt. She offered a silent prayer for forgiveness to Mikey's parents — whoever they were — for not fulfilling her role as a caregiver for their son. Her muscles convulsed again and again, as she tried to rid herself of her emotional baggage. When her body had used up the last of her energy, and her exhausted muscles refused to contract again, silent heavy sobs shook her body as tears streamed down her face.