Risen (The Firebird Trilogy Book 2)

by Stephanie Harbon

  He made a grunting noise.

  After a few moments I spoke with a purposefully light tone; trying to comfort him. “I totally knew you were gay you know,” I stated softly.

  “I’m not gay,” he insisted, but frowned. “How?”

  I smiled light-heartedly, “Because no straight man would have picked such a beautiful dress for me to wear tomorrow.”

  He laughed for a moment, then smiled sadly, “Oh Ruby, what shall we do?”

  “Who knows,” I sighed. “We could find a different pair of siblings to hopelessly dote upon. Perhaps they could be of Air, just for a change.”

  He laughed again, but the sound was off. I knew he was really hurting.

  After a few minutes I left, knowing that he wanted to be alone, and I went to my room. I’d completely lost interest in the party downstairs; it could go on without me for all I cared. I decided that I wouldn’t go and find Acheron. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway. I’d be caught and killed. I might as well surrender to the fact that tomorrow Silva would out my secret.

  For now though, I thought I actually might be able to sleep.

  In my room I got undressed and put some pyjamas on. I cleaned my teeth and brushed my hair out of its long plait, letting the soft red ringlets escape across the mattress as I settled in. I was beyond caring now. There was nothing that could shock me anymore. With that in mind, I quickly fell asleep.

  I awoke to the sound of someone stumbling across the floor. My eyes shot open and I reached for the light, which ignited immediately and lit the room. Through my sleepy haze I recognised the familiar shadow before me.

  “Kieran?” I asked confusedly, yawning. “What are you doing here?”

  I took in his appearance and to my horror discovered that he was covered in blood. His shirt was ripped slightly in one place and there was dirt and grime in streaks across his face. Blood dribbled down his clothes and was crusted in his hair.

  I jumped out of bed instantly, concerned for his safety. “Are you okay?”

  His pupils had dilated so much that his eyes were completely black, except for the bloodshot whiteness. His skin was pale underneath the thick muck and blood, and there were deep lines under his eyes. He looked absolutely exhausted. His hands shook and I realised he was carrying a blade.

  “It’s not my blood,” he muttered, dropping the knife on the floor. I smelt it then, that drug he used. It was a strong scent; mixed with alcohol and metal.

  “Who’s blood is it?” I demanded, worried that he’d done something crazy.

  “It’s Acheron’s.” He answered, then after seeing my expression added; “Don’t worry, nobody knows it was me.”

  “Why did you do it?” I asked, unsure how to react.

  “Because I want you to live,” he replied, swaying slightly.

  I moved away from him and folded my arms across my chest. “What are you really doing here Kieran?” I demanded sternly. “And why are you drunk?”

  “I’m not drunk,” he responded indignantly. “I’m high.” He thought for a moment, as if trying to remember the last couple of hours. “Actually,” he amended sheepishly, “I might also be a little drunk.”

  “Kieran,” I said sternly, trying to focus him. “Why are you in my room?”

  “I want to sleep,” he answered simply.

  His answer caught me unawares, “You what?”

  He stepped closer to me and his gait swayed slightly. “I would like to ask you a favour.” He told me, trying extremely hard to make his words come out coherently. “I would like to sleep with you.”

  I just stared at him.

  “Not like that,” he waved, frowning. “I want you to put me to sleep. You can use your voice, I know you can.”

  It was obvious that he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in many days and he was blatantly desperate. But still I answered, “No.”

  “Please Ruby,” he practically begged.

  “No,” I responded frostily. “Go away.”

  He was quiet for so long that I eventually looked at him. I regretted it immediately; for his expression was heartbreakingly sad and disappointed.

  “I just wanted,” he sighed eventually. “I just want to lie down beside you and sleep knowing you’re safe. And if I dream of you and wake up in a panic, I’ll look beside me and know that it’s okay because you’re there; alive and beautiful. I can’t handle it anymore, Ruby. If I don’t sleep soon I’ll crack. I need you to help me.”

  I deliberated for a long time, then finally huffed. “Fine. I will put you to sleep. But I don’t want you in here.”

  “Why not?” he asked, hurt. “I won’t touch you I promise.”

  “Because I think you’ve done enough sleeping with people,” I said through my teeth, a blaze of anger wrapping up my windpipe and escaping from my mouth.

  He was suddenly extremely serious. “That night Ruby, I thought you were with Jayson. It cut me up. I was angry. I stayed up for three hours waiting for you to come out of Jayson’s door, but you never did. So yes, I eventually followed those girls into that room. I thought I could do it. But the moment they shut the door and started touching me I made them leave. I thought I could do it. But I couldn’t.”

  I stared at him disbelievingly and he sighed, “If only you knew Ruby. If only you could read my mind. I didn’t do anything except what you watched me do.” He shook his head miserably, “And even that felt wrong.”

  I looked into his deep emerald eyes and knew that for once he was being truthful. He wasn’t lying, I realised; a flicker of hope rekindling within me.

  “Me and Jayson really did just sleep in the same bed,” I admitted. “I couldn’t do it either.” Nor, I bet, could Jayson; considering what I knew now.

  “I just want to do that Ruby,” he said honestly, staggering closer. “I just want to sleep in the same bed as you. I want to dream with you and pretend that everything is okay. For just this one night. Please give me that.”

  “I’m getting Bound tomorrow,” I said apathetically, avoiding the devastating look on his gorgeous face.

  “I know,” he nodded. “That’s why it has to be tonight.”

  I looked away and surrendered, “Fine. But you can’t get that blood on my bed. Have a shower. ”

  “I will,” he promised, then winked cheekily. “But don’t be tempted to follow me in there. Because then I won’t want to sleep at all.”

  I shook my head at him as he disappeared inside the bathroom. After a moment I heard the water turn on. I locked the bedroom door, learning from Jayson and Adrian’s earlier mistake, and got back inside the now cold bed. I stared up at the ceiling, unsure of what to do.

  After a few minutes Kieran returned, just wearing some clean jogging bottoms he’d pulled from nowhere; or possibly his wing brace. His skin and hair had been scrubbed clean but the lines under his eyes, if anything, looked worse without the dirt.

  He looked unsure as he approached the bed, almost as if this was a dream to him, but then he carefully climbed in; as far from me as physically possible. I looked at him, confused, but asked if he wanted me to sing now.

  “Not yet,” he murmured, closing his eyes. After a moment his body seemed to relax and he looked over at me. “I got you a birthday present.” He told me, smiling a smile so sweet I barely recognised him.

  “Really?” I wondered quietly; liking this intoxicated version of Kieran.

  He leant over the bed and reached into his leather wing brace, withdrawing something small, square and metal. He placed the device in my hand. It was a small silver Ipod. I looked up at him in surprise, where the hell had he gotten it from?

  “After I escaped that lake,” he explained, closing his eyes. “I went back to Lynk’s caves. Everything was chaos, but I managed to get inside and grab this for you without being caught.”

  Holding the little object in my right hand, flicking the headphones out of the way, I scrolled through the songs and to my shock discovered that there were thirty nine thousand
of them. It was a 160GB Ipod classic and there was every song I could think of on it. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe what he’d given me. And that he’d risked his life to get it.

  “You said what you missed most about home was the music,” he murmured, his eyes still closed. “And whoever owned this had a very large and varied collection.”

  “I did say that didn’t I?” I muttered. I remembered saying it now, but to Nik and Jayson, not Kieran. I’d thought he hadn’t been listening. I put it to one side, idly wondering how I would charge it, and turned to him, resting on my elbow. “Thank you.” I said gratefully.

  He smiled and opened his eyes. “You’re welcome.”

  “Do you want me to sing now?” I wondered, slightly embarrassed.

  He nodded, so I very quietly began to sing my mother’s lullaby. Almost instantly I could feel him relax, but after a moment I knew for some reason it wasn’t working. I panicked slightly in my head, why wasn’t it working?

  But then Kieran’s lips began to move as he joined in with me, his velvety voice barely even making a sound, and I could feel him drifting off. After a few more moments he was asleep.

  I lay beside him and closed my eyes. I knew deep down that I wanted nothing more than to take this opportunity to reach over and touch him. To trace his angel-carved face; his soft lips and his eyelids as he slumbered soundlessly. I had never seen him more beautiful than he was in that moment.

  I closed my eyes and left him alone. I wouldn’t ruin this rare opportunity for him to rest and relax.

  Within minutes I had also drifted off into a peaceful slumber. We were both too deeply unconscious to dream, separately or together, and neither of us were woken by nightmares or visions. For the first time in weeks we both slept contentedly through the night.

  However when morning came and I was woken by someone at the door, Kieran had disappeared. I almost thought last night had been a dream; if it wasn’t for my exhaustion and the small silver Ipod at the side of my bed.

  I dressed quickly and went over to Ebony’s house; knowing that Chara would be there. I needed her for moral support. I was going to see Silva and finally complete our deal now that Acheron was dead. Nik was at Ebony’s too, so he walked with us on our way to the Air Palace. Jayson stayed at the Fire Palace, finishing some final plans for the ceremony tonight. He’d made me promise I’d be back early.

  “So what exactly is the plan here?” Chara wondered as we neared the Palace.

  “Go in,” I answered. “Ask to see Silva, then tell her that I will nominate her the next time the Council meets. After that we should be even.”

  “So why do we need to come?” Nik asked.

  “You didn’t,” I said. “But I asked Chara because Jayson’s busy and I didn’t want to meet the hag alone.”

  “Understood,” Nik said, frowning.

  The Palace was how I remembered it; dark grey stone, lots of towers and glass, but very little decoration. We knocked on the front door and waited as the High Slave appeared, looking sceptical.

  “We’d like to see Silva.” Chara said confidently, “Kindly show us which room she’ll be in.”

  The High Slave still looked suspicious but nodded and led us through the wide passages with glass skylights above; until he stopped before a door.

  “Would you like me to announce you?” queried the High Slave.

  “No, thank you,” said Nik. “We’ll be fine.”

  Still looking unsure, the High Slave wandered off back down the corridor. Once he’d disappeared I glanced at the others, whispering: “Do we go straight in?” but then I heard faint voices on the other side of the door. Stopping, I casually leaned my body closer to listen; the other’s followed suit.

  “I know,” said Silva. I recognised her cold voice immediately.

  “And surely you’d get more pay on the High Council,” said another voice, it was female and sounded slightly dim and unintelligent.

  “Once again, Miranda, I know,” snapped Silva. “I’m trying, but Father has only just been killed and a Garatourii will take ages to sort out.”

  “Was it that girl, you know, the one who owes you?” questioned Miranda, and at this I froze. She’d told others of our arrangement? What else has she told people?

  “Who killed Father?” She asked. “I doubt it. I had hoped she’d get caught in the act but she obviously paid a professional to do it.”

  “Oh,” said Miranda dumbly. “So why does she owe you anyway?”

  I think I stopped breathing momentarily. After a moment Silva claimed: “I know one of her secrets. And it’s a dirty little secret that’s for sure.”

  “You’re not going to tell me are you?” asked Miranda.

  “Nope,” said Silva and I felt relief flood my stomach, however it soon disappeared when she continued, “Not yet. Soon everyone will know. As soon as she’s got me what I want I’m outing her anyway.”

  Furious anger blazed within me as Miranda asked, “Why?”

  I heard Silva’s smug smile, “She humiliated me when she first arrived here. She’ll soon realise what a mistake that was to make.”

  I pulled back, having heard enough, and Nik, seeing the violent intention building in my expression, roughly grabbed my shoulders and hauled me away from the door.

  “Not with the witness,” he told me seriously, then turned to his wife. “Chara, get the other girl out.”

  Chara opened the door and a few words were exchanged before Miranda came out. I didn’t even see what she looked like because as soon as she’d left the room I yanked free of Nik’s iron lock and sprinted inside. I heard Nik call after me but I ignored him and grabbed hold of a surprised-looking Silva.

  I was so infuriated. I’d been through hell to get her what she wanted. I’d put myself through the Garatourii, had to go to Lynk’s caves with Blaze because of her -nearly dying twice- and would have got Bound to Jayson just to stay on the Council for her. And she was going to screw me over anyway?! I was sick of being walked over, manipulated and underestimated. I snapped.

  My hands wrapped around her neck and unstoppable aggression overwhelmed me. My fingers gripped tighter as she struggled under my hold. In the back of my mind I was vaguely aware that she wore a golden chain similar to mine and Kieran’s; with identical symbols burnt onto its surface.

  Silva used a different defence. I felt a whoosh of her presence in my mind, and a feeling of pain washed over me. Though I knew it wasn’t real and all in my head, I screamed and staggered back.

  As she pushed against me again with her mind I tried to remember all that Adrian had taught me about blocking mind invasions. I thought of my special word and the wall I’d carefully and slowly began to build was there instantly. It was stronger than I remembered.

  I blocked her attacks but she was still more practiced than me, and I kept feeling rushes of agony slipping through the cracks in my comparatively-delicate wall. I could hear Chara and Nik behind me move forwards, but I could tell she was invading them too. She was incredibly strong, but I managed to move my body despite the pain in my head, and I whacked my fist into her stomach. She bowed over, the wind escaping from her thin lips. She lost the connection with my mind.

  She tried to pick it back up again but I’d had enough; I was too angry for her to creep past my fierce defences. I took a deep breath and knew this was the only way I could free myself of her.

  In that moment I broke my own rule to never use my gift on someone without it being in defence or a final resort. I opened my mouth and a beautiful sound escaped between my lips. It was a tone that I knew was the most penetrative, the most influential and the most difficult to control.

  “No more,” I said. “You will think of me no more. You won’t remember anything that has happened between us and if we meet again you won’t recognise me. You will get on the Council in your own way. We are through.”

  And with that I stopped and a great exhaustion gripped me. I collapsed forwards, seeing Silva doing the same, but I had so
meone to catch me. No one caught her. She landed hard against the floor; blood streaming from a gash on her forehead. And she didn’t get up.

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  “Is she okay?” I asked anxiously. The last thing I wanted was another dead person on my conscience; as nice as that sounded.

  Nik took a closer look at her, touching two fingers to the artery in her neck. “Her heart’s steady,” he noted. “She’ll be fine.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief, “Good.”

  Just then she stirred, sitting up and rubbing her head. “Where-“ she looked up at us in confusion. “Who are you?” she demanded, delicately touching the bleeding cut on her head, “My head hurts. What happened? I don’t remember.”

  Well, at least she didn’t remember me. That was good. It was Chara who enlightened her, “We are looking for the High Elder, to pay our respects for her lost husband. You fell when we entered. You tripped over a book.” Chara’s eyes were so full of assured confidence that I almost believed her.

  “You better get your head looked at,” Nik said politely, before we left her in there; looking bewilderedly around for an explanation.

  “You do realise you’re going to have to convince Miranda she saw Silva fall,” Nik whispered urgently, as we saw the girl rushing over.

  I groaned inwardly; I was already absolutely exhausted. Reluctantly I moved to the girl. She was a chubby little thing with pale skin and soft but dumb silver eyes. I didn’t want to trick her with my influential voice, but still I raised my tone to a soft lulling sound, “You watched Silva fall and hit her head. You won’t remember seeing us once we’re gone.”

  Her eyes immediately went blank. It wasn’t like using Chyun’ju on Silva, who’d been taught to be sceptical of everyone and everything -it took a lot of energy to persuade her with my words- however this girl was young and vulnerable; not yet hardened by this vicious world. It was like taking candy from a baby. She nodded cooperatively, walking off into the room Silva was in. I didn’t feel as drained as I had with Silva, but I was still exhausted.