The Phoenix

by J R Stone

  She averted her eyes. There he was, making her feel bad for her actions once again.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you. I really am,” he said apologetically.

  That was the moment Sarah had been waiting for. Part of herself wanted an opportunity to get closer and to create a relationship that would allow her to discover his plans. Another part simply craved him and wished to be in his arms, and feel the heat of his body. This part Sarah tried to suffocate with all her strength.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  He gently touched her chin lifting her face so that their eyes met. “That’s part of the past, let’s forget it. I’m interested in this moment. What happens right here, right now is all that matters to me.” He held her face, leaned in and allowed his lips to touch hers, kissing her passionately.

  His kiss sent all her fears, insecurities and sorrows away, giving place to lust and passion. She touched the nape of his neck and pulled him closer.

  Tzeel could feel her desire burn his skin. He could not be more pleased. She would belong to him.

  Sarah looked at him and caressed the scars on his face. He kept his eyes closed so that he could savor the sensations caused by every move of her hand, every inch of her skin.

  Sarah doubted there would be a better moment to ask him some of the things she wanted to know. “What’s your relationship with Adara?”

  Tzeel opened his eyes. “She was our wet nurse,” he said calmly. “Then she helped our mother raise us. When she died, our father asked Adara to leave the palace. He was afraid that she would spoil us.”

  It was clear to Sarah that Tzeel resented his father’s decision. She wanted to comfort him, but she was trying to keep herself emotionally distant. First, she had to find out what he wanted from her. She abruptly got up.

  “Did I do anything wrong?” he asked, confused.

  “No, I just think that Enoch should examine my wounds,” she said flatly as she turned around and walked toward the garden entrance, leaving Tzeel frustrated. He had no option but to follow her.

  The way back to the palace never seemed so long to him.

  “Could you please ask Enoch to come see me?” she asked as she opened her bedroom door.

  “Of course,” he replied furiously.

  He walked to his room and ordered one of the guards to send Enoch to Sarah’s bedroom. Unable to cope with the rejection, he picked up a chair and smashed it against the wall, breaking it into several pieces.

  He walked over to the balcony and took a deep breath. He had to control himself. He could not let her win. He repeated to himself several times that it was all a game for both of them. If he wanted to be in control, he had to be patient.

  Sarah sat on the floor, buried her head in her hands and cried as much as she could. She hated herself for wanting him. She tried focusing on her mother, her village, but the taste of his kiss and his passion overshadowed everything else.

  She quickly composed herself when Enoch knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Enoch had a smile on his face. He knew she had spent the day in the city, so he did not expect to see her sad. It did not take him more than a minute to realize that he had been mistaken.

  “What happened?” he asked worriedly.

  “How come everyone likes him so much?” she asked in a high-pitched tone.

  “He’s a good person, Sarah. He has flaws like everyone else, but he’s always looking after us. When his father was alive, the city was chaotic. There were murders and rapes every day. His father didn’t care. His soldiers could do anything they wanted, and we, the people, had to suck it up. I wouldn’t even let my daughter leave home without me. Luckily for us, Tzeel and Seth were clearly against the way their father ruled. Whenever they were in town, soldiers would behave differently. They respected and feared Tzeel and Seth. When their father died, a new era started. The ones who didn’t follow the new rules were executed in public. After a month and the execution of thirteen soldiers, Totkan never saw a murder, a rape, a theft, or any other kind of crime inside its walls again. For the first time since my daughter was born, she could leave home without me. We’re all grateful.” Enoch watched Sarah’s expression change from sadness to perplexity. “I don’t know what he did to get you here, Sarah, I also don’t know why he wants you here. But for us, his people, he has been nothing but a hero.”

  “I thought he controlled you by not giving you the plant,” she said, confused.

  “He does. As I said, he has flaws, but he is without a doubt a great ruler.”

  “What about his wizards? I heard today that they are evil.”

  “They are,” he said promptly. “They are the only thing Tzeel couldn’t get rid of after his father died. Seth wanted them gone, but they control Tzeel in such a way that Seth’s requests were ignored. Uno and the others remain in Totkan.”

  Sarah was silent. She thought about everything she had done. The men dead in her house, the bodies crushed at the canyon. The truth was that, if Tzeel was a villain, so was she. Just like him, she was also loved by many and feared by others. But one thing she could not deny: Tzeel did not have good intentions towards her. If he did, he would not have kidnapped her.

  “Now, let me examine your wounds. They are still a bit infected. I’ll prepare the infusion one last time.”

  “Thank you.”

  Sarah was glad Enoch had to leave. She could use some time alone. She had a lot to process. No matter what Enoch had told her, the things Tzeel had threatened to do to her people, the way he had behaved on their way to Totkan had made it clear to her that he was ill-intentioned. However, she could not deny that there seemed to be a mix of admiration and desire in his kiss.

  Enoch came back with the infusion, gave Sarah the cup and left. Sarah drank it and went to bed. She closed her eyes and played in her head over and over again the moment Tzeel had kissed her, the way he had held her face, the desire that had burnt her skin. She would not be able to sleep. She wanted him.

  She left her room and walked over to his. She was about to open the door when one of the soldiers stopped her.

  “Sarah is here, Your Majesty,” announced the guard.

  “Let her in,” said Tzeel intrigued. He did not expect to see her.

  Without hesitation, Sarah lay down on his bed. Their eyes met. His body instantly responded to the fire in her eyes.

  Tzeel walked over to the bed. Not a word was said. His fingertips touched Sarah’s left foot, slowly running up her leg, caressing her thigh. Sarah closed her eyes. She wanted to feel disgusted, but she could not.

  He gently kissed her belly and went all the way up to her lips. He was pleased by all the desire he felt coming from her.

  Sarah’s fingers went through his hair. Lust and reason were fighting a raging battle inside her.

  Tzeel felt her sudden hesitation. “Not yet, I suppose.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she left his bed.

  Tzeel was mad at her for tempting him only to turn him down, but he did not show. He wanted her to feel respected by him, and that bothered him a bit. He was not used to seeking anyone’s approval but his own. He thought about asking her to leave, but that would probably hurt her. He decided to leave the room himself.

  Sarah walked over to the balcony, tears running down her face. She had to accept that she was falling for him. There was no more fighting against it. On top of that, she was aware that, if she pushed him away, her chances of knowing his plans would drop to zero. She sat on a chair on the balcony and decided she would wait for him to come back.

  Tzeel entered Liora’s bedroom. She was lying on her bed, asleep. He kissed her neck. Hopefully, being with her would help him stop thinking about Sarah.

  Liora opened her eyes and smiled. She was happy he was finally back to her. She pulled him close and kissed him. She had missed him.

  V

  Sarah woke up when Tzeel entered the room. It was morning already. He was surprised to see that she had spent the nig
ht there. She got up and walked to him.

  “Where did you sleep?” she asked.

  “In another bedroom,” he answered flatly.

  There was something different in the way he looked at her. He was colder.

  “There is a hickey on your neck,” she said bitterly. Her heart was breaking with every second.

  Tzeel stared at her. He would return the suffering she had caused him. “I didn’t know we were exclusive,” he retorted acidly.

  Sarah knew she was the one to blame for Tzeel’s behavior. She had been impulsive the night before, and now she was reaping the consequences. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m tired of your games,” he answered with no hesitation. The more he looked at her, the angrier he felt for not having her.

  “I’m not playing games,” she said, offended. The visit to his room had been the sincerest thing she had done ever since she had arrived at Totkan. To have such an honest gesture be considered a ruse hurt her.

  “Aren’t you? Really? What are you doing then?” he asked her aggressively. “You let me kiss you only to push me away afterward. You come to my room and invite me to bed only to reject me. If that’s not playing games, I don’t know what is. Please, enlighten me.”

  Sarah wished she had time to think of a reasonable explanation to give him, but she knew that he would simply walk away if it took her too long. “I’m having a hard time accepting my feelings for you.”

  Her answer took Tzeel by surprise. He felt hope. “What do you feel for me?” he asked, stepping toward her. He wanted so badly to hear that she was in love with him that he could not hide his anxiety.

  Sarah hesitated. She did not know how to describe what she felt. At that moment, she was angry and jealous that he had slept with someone else, but she was not sure that was the best thing to say.

  Her delay in offering Tzeel the answer he expected left him frustrated. He was angry at himself for having had any expectations. The farther they were from each other, the better. “Leave,” he snarled.

  Sarah could not hide her frustration. Tears came to her eyes. She was ruining everything. Determined not to give him the pleasure of seeing her cry, she stormed out of the room, bumping into Seth, who was about to knock on his brother’s door.

  “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

  “I’m superb! Do you want to go for a walk?” she asked, collecting herself. The last thing she wanted was to let Seth know what was going on between her and Tzeel. She had the feeling that Seth was interested in her, and she did not wish to upset him.

  “Sure.” Seth knew there was something wrong, and he was determined to find out what it was. He walked with her to the garden inside the palace. There they would have more privacy to talk.

  It was a beautiful sunny day. Sarah admired the beauty of the garden. If she were looking for peace, that was undoubtedly the place to find it. She sat on the grass.

  Seth seated himself beside her and waited for her to seem calmer before asking what he wanted to know. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.” She hoped Seth would not insist, even if he did not believe her.

  Even though he knew she was lying, he decided to respect her wishes. They remained silent for a while.

  Bothered by the silence, she revealed, “I met Adara yesterday.”

  “Did you?” he beamed. “She’s very talkative, isn’t she?”

  “She is. She said she misses you.” Sarah looked at him, eagerly expecting a reaction. All she could see was tenderness.

  “I should visit her more, I know,” he said regretfully. He loved Adara, and it saddened him to know that his prolonged absence was deeply felt by her.

  “Why don’t you?”

  “She asks too many questions, and I don’t have answers to all of them.” The truth was that Adara, like him, worried about Tzeel’s plans and about the presence of witches and wizards in the palace. Unfortunately, he knew as much as she did. Nothing.

  “What kind of questions does she ask?” Sarah asked curiously. It was clear to her that Adara and Seth did not like Uno and the others. However, she did not know if that was the only point in which they disagreed with Tzeel.

  “Personal questions,” he said evasively. He would not share his and Adara’s doubts with Sarah. Certain things should stay within the family.

  Sarah realized that he would not open up, so she took a different course. “Why did your father ask her to leave the palace?” she asked. Sarah had not believed that Adara had been kicked out from the palace because she would spoil Tzeel and Seth. There seemed to be something else.

  Seth’s hesitation made Sarah even more curious. It was the confirmation that there was something more to that story than Tzeel had revealed.

  “I don’t want to lie to you, Sarah,” he said, staring into her eyes. “So, we’d better change the subject.”

  Sarah did not expect that behavior from Seth. She could not be more intrigued. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was a delicate subject. Tzeel seemed comfortable talking about it.”

  “Well, ignorance is bliss.”

  Sarah was puzzled. It was hard to believe Seth kept secrets from his brother. It seemed even more unimaginable that there could be something about Adara that Tzeel did not know. There was an awkward silence.

  Uncomfortable, Seth changed the subject. “What else did you do yesterday?” he asked as if nothing had happened.

  “Well, we walked around the city, Tzeel took me to the city garden, and that was it,” she lied.

  “How did you like the garden?” he asked, aware of the answer. It would be impossible not to admire the most beautiful place he had ever laid eyes on.

  “It’s a piece of heaven,” she beamed.

  “It was our mother’s favorite place. She used to spend hours there gardening.” Seth looked down. He missed their mother.

  Sarah was taken aback. Enoch had told her that Seth and Tzeel’s mother was evil and she could not picture an evil person gardening. It was a task that required love and care. “Did she?”

  “Yes. Why does that surprise you so much?” Seth did not understand the confused look on Sarah’s face. He did not remember telling Sarah about his mother, and he doubted Tzeel had done so. But Sarah seemed to already have an opinion about her.

  “Oh, she had two kids and a city to rule with your father, so she was probably quite busy. I imagine it was hard to have any leisure time,” lied Sarah.

  Seth stared at her. He did not believe a word of what she had just said. She was protecting whomever had told her about their mother.

  “No matter what people may have told you, she was a good person. She had her flaws. She suffered a lot throughout her life, and that made her a little bitter at times. My father was not an easy person. He was a lousy husband and ruler.”

  “You take after your mother, then?” she asked. Seth was far from being difficult, and Sarah was sure that, if he were king someday, he would be just and kind.

  “Both Tzeel and I do,” he replied, defending his brother.

  Sarah and Seth stared at each other for a few seconds. She would like to fall in love with him, but it was too late for that. She averted her eyes.

  “Does Tzeel have a girlfriend?” she asked shyly. She did not want to seem interested, but there was no other way she would know that if not by asking. She could ask Enoch, but she did not know when she would see him again, and she wanted to have that information as soon as possible.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” he said, frowning. “He has a relationship with Liora. It’s not public, but he spends most of the nights with her. Why?”

  Sarah was taken by jealousy. Tzeel had left her alone in his room to spend the night with Liora. She was furious. “Does Liora live in the palace?”

  “Yes, in the east wing. And so do the other wizards.”

  “Oh, she’s a witch?” she spluttered with indignation. She felt manipulated.

  “Yes.” Seth lay down on the grass, his eyes closed. He was upset. �
�I love my brother, Sarah, but here’s a piece of advice: don’t fall for him.”

  “Why is that?” she asked, unable to hide her feelings.

  “You don’t want to mess with Liora. I know you are powerful, but she is ruthless.” He could add other reasons, but, if he said more, he would expose his dissatisfaction.

  The mention of Liora’s cruelty reminded Sarah of what Enoch had said about the witches and wizards. “Are they all ruthless?” She was looking for confirmation.

  “The wizards? Yes.” Seth would like to have a different answer to give, but he had never seen any sign of kindness or compassion in his brother’s witches and wizards.

  “Why does Tzeel let them stay?” Sarah believed the answer to that question was directly connected to Tzeel’s plans for her.

  “He doesn’t see them this way. He believes they have our best interest at heart,” he said bitterly.

  Sarah had hoped for a more solid answer. “I don’t get it. Why would a group of talented, merciless wizards submit themselves to a ruler?” She had never submitted to anyone, and she had lived in small villages all her life. It was hard to understand the power dynamics that permeated the connections inside the palace.

  “They want something from him. I don’t know what, so don’t even bother asking.” Seth gave a sad smile as an attempt to soften the bluntness of his answer.

  They stayed in the garden for a few hours, both lost in thought.

  Her stomach growled. She looked at Seth. He was still lying in the grass. His eyes were closed; she could admire him without feeling guilty. He was handsome and ready to be hers, if she would have him.

  Seth opened his eyes and caught her staring. She quickly looked away, but he could see her blush.

  “I guess we should have lunch,” she said awkwardly.

  “Sure. Come with me.”

  Seth walked over to the atrium and opened a door Sarah had not noticed before. It led to a spacious dining room. The dark-blue decoration contrasted with the light-blue walls, giving the room a peaceful yet strong atmosphere.

  Suddenly, a servant came out of nowhere as if she were there waiting for someone to come in. Sarah was startled.