Torn From Stone (The Phoenix Series Book 1)

by Sarah Rockwood

  “I’m sorry, I’m just a little freaked…” He began stoking the fire, his chest still rattling with silent laughter. “…This is just a lot to take in. I had years to get used to you and now in the space of an hour, you’ve told me I’m in extreme danger and dragged me to the home of some unknown creature, who’s definitely not a Minion,” I gestured at the big stool. “…In a place I don’t recognise.” I put the bat away. “I think I’ve handled the whole thing pretty well, but I’m nearing my breaking point. I need answers, Sid.”

  He flinched at the saying of his name and threw his arms out to the side. A brief flash of warm power echoed through the cave and was gone.

  “My lady, please do not use my Name. The Names Travel and we must not be found.” I opened my mouth to question him again, but he silenced me with the raising of his hand. “I understand your frustration and I will now end it. We are in the home of a very old and dear friend of mine. No harm will come to you here within this rock. The reason for our quick departure comes at the end of a long tale. A tale that I have intended to recount since you found me under your sink. I should have told you sooner, but always thought I would have more time. I now see how futile that was. You accepted my presence with such ease that perhaps the truth would not have alarmed you that night, but I was afraid. I was worried it would break your heart, My Lady.”

  Silent tears ran down his face. His grey eyes held so much weight. I wanted to say something reassuring, to make his burden less, but before I found the words, he continued.

  “The story starts in The Void.” The firelight danced in his eyes. He threw his arms out in a gesture I had become familiar with and a blast of warm power, stronger than before, filled the cave. The image of a shield burned briefly in my mind and was gone. He continued.

  “I have told you of my species, the Minions, who live in The Void. But there are others, many others. Each has a distinct visage and frame, some more human in appearance than others. Their numbers do not run into the hundreds like we Minions, yet they all have a significant presence.

  We have existed longer than the concept of Time in this fashion. The many species living together, Travelling from world to world and policing ourselves as necessary. We did not fear one another because in groups the power is shared. We Minions have little power due to our immense numbers. Aware of this sharing, the inhabitants of The Void work to keep our numbers so that no one being may gain control. But there was a solitary Traveller. A creature without a double let alone the numbers needed to share power. No one knew why or how she came to be but there she was, alone. She was graceful and beautiful, indistinguishable from human but for the beautiful wings that grew from her back.

  The feathers were broad and soft. They held a multitude of colours, purples, greens, blues, and pinks coursed through them. To see her stretch them as she prepared for flight was a beautiful thing. But she was alone.

  One day she ceased Travelling and took to wandering The Void. She moved incessantly across the grey landscape. As Time passed, it appeared that she had forgotten how to Travel. She had not taken flight through our grey sky in an age.

  This time in The Void had made her powerful and yet vulnerable. Although she had never acted in malice towards a single being, whispers started. The others grew frightened. They feared her humanness. She so closely resembled those we Watch. What could come of such a creature? A movement formed to rid The Void of her.

  On a cool dark day, without warning, they charged. Running at her back, they tore her right wing clean off before she knew the bombardment had begun. As she grappled with the many hands attempting purchase, she knew she had one option. To Travel. And it was in those final moments, as she began to hear her left wing tear, that she realised that she could never return. Without her wings wherever she landed would be her new home. It had been so long since she had Travelled, and with no time to twist the proper charm, she trusted to instinct. As the second wing was severed, she jumped headlong into the next world. Aeons and instants dissolved as she passed, screaming, into the bright world beyond.

  I watched it all: disgusted with the actions of my brethren, but unable to stand against so many. As soon as she passed from The Void, a great cry of joy and frustration emptied from the mouths of the mob. They had wanted her blood not merely her wings. They tried to rip the wings apart but they would not rend. Keeping their shape, they were tossed about, various creatures sucking on what little blood resided in their joinings. The blood made them momentarily crazed with a power that was gone as quickly as it came. When the last of them had grown tired and lay dozing on the ground, I grabbed the wings. I secreted them away to other worlds. It broke my heart to separate them but together they were too powerful. Their Light would pulse, making them easy targets for her enemies.

  I hoped one day to find her. Without her wings she would have no knowledge of who she was, she would begin her new life as an infant, a babe, in whatever world she landed. She would have no memory of her home.

  Soon after her departure, The Guards came with a new decree, that she was to be forgotten and that to help her would be a violation of our ancient laws. Anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts was to report it immediately. They said it was too risky to bring a Traveller back in her condition. They said The Void did not need her, that she had no place in our grey home.

  But I did not believe them. I knew their words were made of fear. Fear of what she would do when she returned. For all her silence, she knew the darkness and anger that had crept its way into The Void. She could feel it winning over the inhabitants. I was sure that in time she would have acted against it.

  There were a handful of creatures that shared my thoughts and together we made a pact. We would bring her home. We would return her to The Void so she might see justice. None searched as diligently as I. It was difficult work, to search without being seen, always looking over my shoulder and playing the fool with The Guard. It took me fourteen years but I finally found her.

  The Phoenix.”

  5

  “Fourteen years until I found you, My Lady.”

  The cave was so silent my ears felt full with the weight of it. What Sid said made no sense. The thought that I was this creature, that I was one of these Travellers, seemed insane. I tried to articulate this, but no sound would come.

  “My Lady, it is true. I have Watched you for so long, and there can be no doubt of it. You are a Traveller, The Phoenix.” Something pulsed in the centre of my body and the fire flared, sending bright embers high into the sky. “See!” Sid exclaimed as he gestured at the embers. “Your powers are weak right now, but with knowledge, they will grow.” Watching the tiny sparks, I found my voice.

  “But I have parents.”

  “Yes, without your wings you were forced to enter the world through them. It was their love that helped keep you hidden for so long.”

  “How?”

  “Their Lights mixed and mingled around you, shielding you from prying eyes. It wasn’t until you approached your teen years and began to pull from them that I was able to find you.”

  “So all those fights were me trying to find my wings, literally.”

  Okay, it was a bad joke, but I was trying. It was a mark of how well I was taking this. As Sid pity chuckled, I ran through his story again. As strange as it was, it felt familiar. It held the same sort of familiarity that I had experienced when I first met Sid. And that was the other thing; if Sid was real, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was, why couldn’t the rest of it be real?

  My parents had never planned on calling me Phoenix. They had a nice normal name all picked out for me. But my Mom said when they saw me she just had to call me Phoenix. Coincidence? And what about the little things: like knowing the phone’s going to ring or who’s going to walk into the room. And I’ve always had such strong feelings of déjà vu, especially when I travel. Over a lifetime, it all seemed pretty inconsequential, but, sitting across from Sid in this cave and hearing the story of who I really could
be, it made sense. And if this story was true, what should I do next? I locked eyes with Sid.

  “Okay. Now what?”

  “You believe me?” Good question.

  “I’m not sure, but I’m willing to move forward. I want to see these wings. Maybe if I touch them, I’ll feel something. Yeah…” I was almost talking to myself. “…Yeah, if I touch them, I’ll know.” Sid nodded. The same proficient nod he gave at the mouth of the cave. His voice took on a decisive tone.

  “Alright, to action. We must gather the wings. It will be a difficult task, they have been well hidden. I fear that although their exact location is unknown, the worlds that hold them may be watched. We will need help.”

  At that moment quiet, yet weighty, footsteps began to echo down the passageway. I could hear deep breathing and the sound of something soft rubbing against the rock.

  “Ah!” Sid’s face broke into a wide grin. “She’s home.”

  I was about to meet the owner of that enormous bed.

  6

  The steps grew closer. I stared at the mouth of the passageway, intoning, “It’s not going to eat me. It’s not going to eat me…” over and over again. The passage was dark and the cave bright with fire and torchlight, making it difficult to discern just what was coming down the hall. I could see the outline of the creature’s body, at least seven feet tall with very broad shoulders and heavy arms that seemed too long for the gigantic frame.

  “She is very friendly.” Sid whispered to me as she stepped into the light.

  I had underestimated her height; she had to be closer to eight feet. She was covered from head to toe in short dark brown fur with the exception of her hands and feet: the skin there was black and leathery. Her head sat directly upon her shoulders, there was no neck to speak of, and her face was reminiscent of a gorilla’s, but more expressive and with softer lips. My fear remained until I looked into her eyes. She had beautiful deep brown eyes, intelligent and warm. Nothing with eyes like that could eat me. She saw the fear melt from my body and came towards the fire.

  “Hello, My Lady. It is so good to see you again.” I jumped to my feet and offered my hand.

  “Thanks so much for having me over!” Sometimes I’m idiot. They both laughed at me. The creature spoke.

  “Lady, it’s my pleasure! I’m afraid I mustn’t shake your hand. Touching sends sparks of Light, something we must avoid at this juncture.” So that’s why Sid touched me so rarely. I dropped my hand.

  “I am Yeren and my home is yours.” Yeren gazed at me for a moment before continuing. Her voice was as soft as her fur and extremely feminine, the kind of voice you’d want to hear when you have the flu. “You must be hungry. I will prepare our dinner while we discuss the next stage.”

  She turned towards the table at the back of the cave. Her gait reminded me of something. I watched her busying herself with preparations before it came to me.

  “Bigfoot!” They both turned to me. “Or Sasquatch…” They stared at me. I blushed. “I’m sorry, was that offensive? I just wondered where I’d seen you before and then I remembered. There’s a movie, from the sixties, of a… a…” I searched for the word. “…A being that looks a lot like you.”

  “Really?” said Yeren. Then she laughed. “Bigfoot … We choose the word ‘Yeti’ Lady.”

  “Yeti, much better than Bigfoot.” We smiled and Yeren turned back to the food.

  “Back to the matter at hand.” Sid’s voice was serious and cold. “We must get the wings. Yeren, have you set the enchantments?”

  She paused: “Yes.” Her voice held a deeper resonance and the walls of the cave seemed to pulse briefly as she spoke. “The cave will be secure while we plan.” She returned to her work.

  “Good.” He rubbed his hands together, a glint of conspiracy in his eye. “My Lady please sit, there is much to discuss.” I returned to my seat as he continued. “The first of the wings we shall retrieve is in the twelfth century. I have hidden it…”

  “Wait a second. The twelfth century?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay…. What century are we in now?” It was Yeren who answered. As she explained she filled a cooking pot with vegetables and a carafe of water.

  “This cave resides in the tenth. These woods have no human life at this point in Time.” She smiled at me. “I find it very peaceful.”

  “Of course.” I replied trying to sound nonchalant about choosing to live with or without humanity. “Okay…” My brain was really trying to keep up. Really trying. “We’re in the tenth and we’re Travelling to the twelfth.”

  “Exactly.” They chorused. Sid continued.

  “I hid the wing in a small village in an area you call the Ukraine. It is a forest much like this. The village followed a pagan tradition with many gods. One of the gods, Simargl, is depicted as a large winged dog; they have a statue of him there. I encased your wing in his of stone.”

  My wing. The desire to see this thing was growing. Not just see it, to touch it also. I could feel my yearning building minute by minute. Did this mean they truly were my wings or was this some modern impulse to keep everything I thought was mine? I’d know soon enough. Sid was still talking and I dragged my attention back to his words.

  “We will Travel to the village at night. The statue is located a short distance from its centre. The figure is crude and holds no magic; however, it bears witness to their sacrifices so the area itself has some power.”

  Yeren interrupted.

  “There is also the matter of the Hag.”

  “I was getting to that.” Sid’s eyes narrowed with hate. “My Lady, there is a Hag that frequents those forests. They call her Baba Yaga and she has hoisted the head of many a man on the pikes of her fence. She moves throughout the forest’s Time so one can never know her exact location. It is one of the reasons I chose this place.” I gave him my best ‘you’re kidding’ face. “No, I am not kidding. Her presence deters many a visitor and the probability of her being in the exact place in Time where we will land, is extremely low.”

  I mulled this over for a moment, Sid was gratefully silent, my brain needed to catch up.

  “Let me see if I’ve got this worked out. We Travel to this village when it will be dark, sneak up on the statue and… smash the stone and grab the wing?”

  Sid opened his mouth to answer but before he could Yeren jumped in.

  “Stew’s ready!” She handed us both steaming bowls and hand-carved spoons. “And yes, My Lady, that’s it in a nutshell.”

  We ate in silence for a little while. The stew was amazing. I’m not a big stew fan, but this I could eat again. The warmth of the fire and hot food was incredibly comforting. Yeren looked so beautiful upon her giant stool. The firelight bounced off her fur sparking highlights that I hadn’t seen in the dimmer light of the cave. A wave of warmth began emanating from my heart and slid down my limbs. It felt like the power Sid made but it was coming from me. The words left my mouth before I was aware of their departure.

  “Yeren, you are beauty. Like the river to the mountain, you bend me.”

  Sid and Yeren dropped their bowls. The dregs of stew hit the floor as they both stared at me. It took me a moment to realize what I’d said. With that realization the power left. It was abrupt and made me sway in my seat, sending my bowl rolling along the floor. I closed my eyes against the dizziness and waited until I felt steady to speak.

  “What was that?”

  “Your power is returning.” Sid sounded breathless.

  “But why did I say those things? ‘You bend me’? I’ve never said anything like that in my life.” It’s true. More than one boyfriend has accused me of being cagey.

  “My Lady, when you were in The Void you said many beautiful things.” Sid explained, his voice still breathy. Had they felt the power that moved through me?

  “Beautiful is okay but ‘you bend me’ sounds…” I searched for a word that wouldn’t make me feel even more awkward. “…It just sounds so romantic.”

 
I started to blush. I hoped they would just assume it was the whole new power thing and not the fact that I just hit on a Sasquatch. Sorry, Yeti. Sid saw right through it and gave me a look that was very male.

  “My Lady, in The Void we have very different views on romance.”

  He gave romance enough emphasis that I adverted my eyes. This was getting too weird. I’d had my fair share of experimentation in college but hitting on a Yeti was way outside my comfort zone.

  All this time Yeren was silent. She sat with her eyes downcast, hands loose in her lap.

  “I’m sorry Yeren. I…” She interrupted me.

  “There is no need to apologize, My Lady.” She smiled at me but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You are new to your powers. You have no memory of before.”

  She gathered the bowls and moved quickly to the table. Her words echoed through me; ‘no memory of before’, what the hell did that mean? I thought Sid said I just wandered The Void but Yeren’s reaction told me I’d done a lot more. Had Sid told me everything? He broke the silence.

  “We should get some rest before we gather the wing.”

  “Good idea!” Yeren called all too brightly from the back of the cave.

  Before I could ask about the sleeping arrangements Sid had materialized some cots for us. We all climbed into our respective beds and the others were asleep within minutes. Trying to fall asleep while listening to a Minion and a Yeti snore was difficult, but I managed.

  I fell into a deep sleep, scattered with images of wings and stone.

  7

  I awoke some hours later to the sound of Sid and Yeren arguing in hushed tones. I feigned sleep.

  “You watch yourself, Yeren.” Sid’s voice was a sharp whisper.

  “I will do as I please. You have no power over me, Minion.” Yeren snapped. The harsh tone sounded strange coming from her mouth; there was a timbre to her voice that had not been there before. They continued arguing.