Torn From Stone (The Phoenix Series Book 1)

by Sarah Rockwood

  The wing was no longer willing to wait. It began to pulse, waves of power emanated from it and moved into my body. They were warm and felt like home. The tension left my body. I reached both hands out in front of me and lowered them onto the wing.

  The moment my hands touched the feathers it began.

  11

  At first, it was only images. Flashes of beings and places I had never before known moved through my mind. As they slowed, a feeling of recognition grew in my body. I could feel the soft texture of the feathers under my hands, but I was blind to all but these memories. They became a steady pulse, changing like the movement of the second hand on a clock.

  I saw Sid smiling up at me, Yeren at his side. A deep gaping wound devoured her left shoulder. Her beautiful fur was peeled back and matted with blood. I had her kneel in front of me as I place a hand on either side of the wound. A deep pulse of energy began low in my body. It grew and grew until it poured down my arms and into Yeren. I felt her back arch with a mixture of pleasure and pain as I drove my hands, hot with power, into the folds of the gash. I pulled the skin together and watched it join. As my wings unfurled, Yeren let out a final howl, and the healing was complete. She collapsed and gazed up at me with heat in her eyes. Sid sat beside her, pulsating with his own energy. I felt their joy and shame of the forbidden thing that had just transpired. I heard the vow of secrecy I made them utter.

  In another vignette was Noiryn. I took her face in my hands as I laid a gentle kiss on her closed third eye. A tear rolled from it, and I used my lips to wipe it away. Keeping contact with my hands, I moved around her body. A thick gold cord was looped tightly around her neck, and a long gash crossed her back. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed my face to her shoulder. I listened to the rhythm of her breathing, letting my body rise and fall with it. I felt power grow deep within me causing her breathing to slow. As the power moved through my flesh, I ran a hand along the wound. I felt it knit and mend under my touch as the movement of my wings sent a gentle breeze across our bodies. When it was done, I gently removed the cord from her neck, caressing the flesh underneath with my clean hand. Then I washed her blood from my hand in a cool stream. She stared at me with a mixture of awe and apprehension. Again there were vows.

  There were others I healed, but the images came too quickly to identify them all. They were not many compared to the vast numbers I knew inhabited The Void. I felt their joy in the Healing, I could taste it on my tongue, but it always ended with fear. Once they realised what I’d done, the power that it took, they became frightened. I knew what I was doing was forbidden and strange, it went against our ancient laws. No one before me had been able to heal across the boundaries, to cross the species.

  Then everything stopped. A complete world engulfed me. I was in a dank and dark cell. The floor was covered with a thick layer of mouldy straw. The place smelt of human waste and death. In the centre of the room was a man in a brilliant red robe; he sat at a small wooden table. The only light in the room was from the fat candle in front of him. To his left stood a man in simple dress with a board and quill, he appeared to write down everything said by the man in red. At first, from my place against the wall, I did not see her. It was her sound that drew my attention. A pitiful whimper, like a beaten dog, came from the corner of the cell. I slid along the wall, feeling the thick dirt smudge my wings. I stopped moving when I saw her.

  She huddled on the floor, naked from the waist up. Her skirt hung in rags that barely covered her lower half. Her hair had been roughly chopped off down to the scalp; the blade used had left weeping sores on her skin. Her back was a river of dirt and blood. I couldn’t count the number of whip strokes that had found her. But still, her face held a beauty. Even with the swollen eye and bloodied lip, this human was beautiful. The man in red asked her a question I had no ears for; my attention could not be torn from this ravaged, yet beautiful, creature. Under her wounds we looked so similar, with wings, she would be my sister. She reached out a pleading hand to the man in red, and I saw that her fingernails had been ripped out from the root. The man in red spoke again:

  “You must confess to your crimes, my dear. It is the only way to salvation.” He was so calm it made my blood boil. The candle flickered. When the woman could not answer, he turned to his clerk and smiled.

  “I think we must press her further. The evil has not yet left her body.” He turned his gaze to the darkest corner of the room. “If you would please continue.”

  A man stepped from the darkness. He wore simple clothes like the clerk, but his were covered in blood and other things that leave humans in the face of fear. As he moved across the room, the woman on the floor began to cry. At first, it was a small sound, but as he drew nearer, she pulled herself against the wall and let out long ragged screams. Her torturer smiled.

  The rest of the scene unfolded like a horror show. I watched the man do unspeakable things to this innocent woman. His determination to degrade her was unstoppable. I tried desperately to heal her, but the full strength of my powers could not cross to her world. In the end, I crawled as close to her as I could and whispered soothing words, trying on some level to lessen her pain as her blood splattered across my face. This close, our likeness was unavoidable. I had never before noticed how much I had in common with the female of this species.

  After what seemed like days, as the torturer rose from her body, her head rolled towards me, and we locked eyes. Her pain cut through the shield of power that keeps us Travellers invisible. Gazing deep into my eyes, she whispered ‘angel’ and died. Her torturer wiped his hands on her tattered skirt and followed the man in red and the clerk out of the cell. I sat there for some time with my wings draped around the woman, weeping.

  I wept and wished I could have done something for her. The shield between our worlds was too strong. I wanted desperately to cover her body, to provide her with a modicum of dignity in this terrible place, but I could do nothing. I couldn’t even close her eyes.

  After a time, knowing I could do no more for her, I pulled my wings back from her body. I stared down at her fragile form, wishing again that I could cover her, but my hands were useless here. I exited the cell and walked through the halls, witnessing a myriad of similar scenes. There were so many women here, all held like animals and treated with even less respect. As I walked through the dungeon, I tried to send my healing powers to the women but could do nothing. Rage and impotence prickled my skin. I had always thought I was so powerful, but outside The Void, the ancient laws were too strong. My powers meant nothing here. As long as the laws remained, I could do nothing. I needed to make The Guard understand. We could help these people. They had the power to change the laws.

  I was raw by the time I walked out into the courtyard. A group of people had gathered around a burning pyre. They were yelling obscenities and hurling rocks. The smell of burning flesh was overpowering. Rage filled me until I trembled with it. It coursed through my veins, filling me with a red glowing power. The power grew until it crackled like lightning along my skin. I stood there in the courtyard hearing the screams, my skin sparkling with the same colours of the flames. I had never reached this level of power before, and I rode it without fear. When I had spun the energy to a fevered pitch, I poured all the power I had into the poor soul writhing in the flames. Her screaming stopped, and I collapsed back into The Void.

  12

  The blackness turned to grey as I found myself before The Guard at their meeting place deep within The Void. The ground was smooth and sloped slightly back and forth which gave the horizon a tranquil line, its grey only a few shades darker than the translucent sky. We were in a circle of sparsely branched trees. They were leafless, and their dark grey branches grew up towards the sky, swaying gently in the ever-present breeze. Everything here was a shade of grey. The only colour came from the inhabitants of this strange space.

  The six beings that comprised The Guard each sat upon a high dais draped with grey silk. The daises were arranged in
a circle like the trees, and the fabric wrapped around them blended with the colour of the ground. In the breeze, it looked as if the very soil had moved to support them. They were an impressive group and had been in power longer than anyone, including themselves, could remember. Together they were law for The Void, each one representing the largest groups. It was rumoured that they were the originators of all life in The Void. Seeing this memory, I knew I did not believe those whispers. I stood in the centre of the circle and turned slowly to take them all in.

  Starting at my left sat Cosima. She was scaled, like Noiryn, but hers were the colours of fire and gold. She sat tall on her dais and as I stared she twisted her body so I could see the beautiful golden quills erupt from her back. The movement emphasised the smooth line of her torso and ample curve of her chest. Her third eye was open wide. I could not deny her savage beauty. Shielding my reaction to her form, I gave my eyes to the next Guard.

  On Cosima’s right was Windiga, a Yeti with light blond hair and a long braid that hung from his chin. The braid was fastened with a small piece of steel that matched the elaborate plates covering his shoulders and shins. The plates were formed to fit his body, each engraved with a rolling scroll of vines, and even in the indirect light of The Void, they shone. He played absently with his braid as I observed the group.

  Next in the circle was a being new to my modern memory, but that my past knew well. He had the body of a man, long, lean and prepared for movement, but his skin was that of a snake’s. He wore no clothing, so the smooth pale texture of his belly was obvious. And like a snake, the parts of his body that identified his gender lay hidden beneath his scales. The rest of his skin was mottled with black and green scales. He had solid black eyes and only a slight bump where the slits of his nostrils were located. Heavy folds of scales sat round his neck. They made his head look as if it was oscillating directly on his shoulders. I grimaced involuntarily, and he flicked his forked tongue across his slit of a mouth, taunting me. They called him Mastyx.

  Beside him sat Silverwood. His flesh was rough and cracked. It looked like the bark of an old oak tree. His body was very long and narrow and bent awkwardly as he sat on the dais. From his head grew leafy branches that reached two feet into the sky and his hands were a gnarled collection of twigs that hung from the ends of his arms. His toes were fleshy roots, pinkish and moist; they slithered on the dais looking for soil. I could hear the wood of his flesh creak as he breathed.

  Next came Ganaraj, the Minion. He looked like all the other Minions except he wore a red sash around his waist. Whereas the other members of The Guard sat in chairs, Ganaraj sat on the dais itself. He lounged on his side, propping his head up with his right arm. He looked totally at peace, dozy even, but since Minions are known for speed, it did nothing to quell my uneasiness.

  The final member of The Guard was the most mysterious. Most of his kind never spent time in The Void, preferring the solitude of Travel. So, although there were many of them, he was the only one The Void saw. He had a low chair on his dais, and he sat back into it, his legs spread slightly. He wore black leather pants, nothing else. My eyes trailed from the pale undersides of his bare feet, up his leather-clad legs and across the deep platinum-hued skin of his muscled torso. His long black hair hung around his shoulders and fell in sections across his face. It did nothing to hide the bright silver of his eyes. He was a beautiful man, lean and graceful, yet trembling with power. His kind drew that power from the slivers of bone they pulled from their ribs. They wielded them like swords and used them as conduits for their power. This member of The Guard could shoot them from his hands with unrivalled precision. He was called The Archer. Our eyes locked and I found it hard to turn away. Luckily Silverwood spoke.

  “Why have you come here, Phoenix?” His voice was deep and slow. I turned to him quickly.

  “I have come, Guard…” I turned to include them all. “To ask for change.”

  Ganaraj and Mastyx chuckled. The combination of slurping and hissing was disturbing. Windiga stopped playing with his beard and Silverwood looked shocked. Cosima smiled and moved forward in her chair as she spoke.

  “Oh, dear Phoenix, how misguided you are.” She talked to me like I was a simple child. It was totally infuriating. “You cannot ask for change.” I opened my mouth to respond, but someone beat me to it.

  “Why not?” It was The Archer.

  The attention of the whole group snapped to him. You could almost hear their necks twists. Hope had begun to grow in my heart, and then he spoke again.

  “We don’t have to say yes.” He looked at me. “Besides, her question might tell us something.” He said the words like he knew that ‘something’ already. My heart was in my throat. I had bound everyone I had Healed to keep the secret. I had used my strongest enchantments. There was no way he could know what I had done.

  “Yes, I agree with The Archer.” It was Silverwood who spoke. “Let Phoenix ask.”

  “What! We break with millennia of tradition for her!” Cosima pointed at me.

  “The Archer has a point, Cosima.” Ganaraj was also in favour. “Perhaps her request will tell us something about The Void we do not know.” He shifted to lotus position while he talked and rested his chin on tented fingers. “What are you afraid of, Cosima?”

  It was evident unspoken tensions were creeping in. I really didn’t want to get in the middle of things; however, if it meant they would hear me out I would try to use it. Before Cosima could answer, I spoke.

  “Cosima fears nothing,” I said the one thing I could think of that would both insult and support Cosima. They all looked at me, the power of their gaze was almost too much.

  “Do not speak for me, bird!” It happened so fast. Cosima jumped down from her dais and came at me. I threw my hands up to protect myself; my wings spread wide from my back. I was sure I was no match for her. Before she could reach me Mastyx was beside her, a nimble hand locked around her wrist. His hold held and he swung Cosima around until they were face to face, their bellies pressed together, various scales sliding against each other.

  “Cosima, be calm.” He stroked her face like a lover. “She is not worth your distress.” He ran his hand over her neck and down her back. “Let us hear her and then she will be gone.” He moved his fingers lightly over her spines, and she shuddered.

  “Alright, Mastyx, for you.” She beamed at him and broke from his embrace. She came very close to me and whispered. “You are very lucky, Phoenix. Perhaps not eternally.” She plucked a single feather from my wing. It stung, and I inhaled sharply. She sneered with satisfaction and leapt onto her dais, taking my feather with her.

  “Right!” shouted Mastyx, rubbing his hands together as he began to circle me slowly. “Enough entertainment! Phoenix…” He crossed his arms over his chest and with mock-seriousness said: “What would you like us to change?”

  “Do not insult her, Mastyx.” It was the first time Windiga had spoken. “Phoenix may not be a member of this Guard, but as the only one of her kind, we must show her respect. It is law.” He directed the last of his words at Cosima, who sat pouting, twirling my feather in her hands. I hadn’t known about the law Windiga mentioned; perhaps it would come in handy.

  “Oh yes…” Mastyx flicked his tongue as he drew out the word. “My apologies.” He bowed to me and returned to his seat, his body undulating gracefully with every step. Silverwood’s body let out a loud creak as he moved to speak.

  “Now Phoenix…” He had such sad eyes. “What is it that you would like to change?”

  He spread his gnarled hands wide to indicate I had the floor. I tried to calm the frantic bird that was my heart. I took a few deep breaths and shook out my wings, partly because I was nervous and partly to remind them of what I was. No other creature in The Void had wings like mine, as Windiga had said, I was the only one of my kind. For a long time that had saddened me and finding my mate had been my main quest. But that changed when I discovered I could heal across the species. Suddenly I could co
nnect with other hearts. Although that skill must always be kept secret, I would try now to have the limits on me lifted when I Travelled.

  “I wish to use my power in the worlds I Travel to.”

  “You already do.” Said Silverwood.

  “Let me rephrase. I wish to use all my power in the worlds I Travel to.”

  “Ha!” Cried Cosima, “and you thought we would grant your wish?” She laughed. “Not even The Guard has that right.” I didn’t know that, and apparently, I wasn’t supposed to.

  “Cosima, your impulsiveness harms us again!” Shouted Ganaraj. “That is a Guard secret, you childish Siren!” The others began shouting at her; only the Archer sat quietly. The cascade of noise and power was too much for me. My wings started to pulse as a great warmth grew inside me. I locked eyes with The Archer as the heat grew and grew. His silver burned into me as the others raged. Finally, it was too much for my body. Wings spread wide, the power broke from me and pulsed through The Guard, touching each of them, then out into The Void.

  Everyone was silent, our fear palpable. No one had expected such strength from me. I was frightened. In the rush of power, I had collapsed to the ground and covered myself with my wings. I spoke from my position on the ground to the silent group.

  “I will keep your Secret.” There was a long stretch of silence.

  “But will we keep yours?” The Archer spoke, and I rose up onto my knees.

  “I have no secrets.” Drained as I was, I still knew enough to lie.

  “Really?” He raised an eyebrow but otherwise remained motionless in his chair. Only the tension in his hands belied the seriousness of what had just occurred. “Why do you want all your power when you Travel?” Again his words held knowledge. Cosima jumped in.