Bounty Of Ash (The Phoenix Series Book 2)

by Sarah Rockwood

  I stood the middle of the clearing. I took a few deep breaths to centre myself and then I turned slowly, taking in my surroundings, deciding the best way to position myself. I noticed big chunks of rocks on either side of the clearing. They were positioned across from each other, and if I lay between them, I would be in a straight line bisecting the clearing. This was no mere coincidence; these rocks were here for a reason. I'd placed them here at some point before my human life, and I was going to trust myself.

  I stretched out on the ground. The clearing was perfectly round and large enough for me to stretch my arms above my head and for my wings to splay out beneath me. The ground was so soft and yielding that even with the wings, lying on my back was comfortable. I made a few playful grass angels and was reminded strongly of that da Vinci picture of the guy in the circle and the square thing. I wondered if my old self had seen the picture being made. Maybe when things calmed down, I could go check it out.

  I closed my eyes and let my body melt into the soft grass. Rather than focus immediately on my injuries, I let my attention wander through my body checking in with every inch of my aching frame. I directed my breaths deeper and deeper as my energy flowed through me. It swirled through my legs, up and around my spine, down through my arms, up my neck and through my skull. The shimmery presence flowed into my eyes, and they shot open. There, floating in the air a few feet above me was an undulating ball of molten gold energy. It hovered above me, rolling and changing and yet staying the same. I felt it connect with my heart and a sense of calm and healing flowed from the mass. It was a part of me, a special healing core that I had placed in the magic of this greenhouse so that it would always be safe and ready to bring me back to health.

  I took a deep breath, and a stream of gold poured down and entered my mouth. As I breathed deeply, it moved through my body and down to my feet. There it coated every tendon, every muscle and sinew with its warm gold nature and as I exhaled, the tension and pain in my body left my mouth in a red mist that floated out into the trees. I felt the greenery absorb every molecule of red pain and convert it into life.

  With every breath the gold moved through a new part of me, healing and extracting the red pain. The trees around me seemed to grow greener, more full of life as I continued to breathe the crimson mist out into their branches. The golden energy took special time with my heart, wrapping it gently in ribbons of gold that weaved through each other. They flowed like a golden cage, imbuing me with strength and expelling the trauma of the last few days. The screams of that first Minion attack, the stone tunnels with Mhyr, the darkness of the stream; the fear left my body, but the lessons remained. I would not forget what had happened, I simply released the fear. The wound at the back of my head was the last thing it healed. I felt the fine crack mend and skin reknit, Mhyr had hurt me more than I realised.

  When the glob of molten gold had healed every part of me, it moved closer. Hovering inches above my face its light was so bright that I closed my eyes. It was warm and comforting, and I let my mind wander into sleep as its light caressed me.

  28

  "Phoenix... Phoenix..." A hand touched my face. I swatted at it. "I've missed you." The hand moved down my neck and rested above my heart. A warm tingle shimmered through me.

  That got my attention.

  I cracked an eyelid. There, with the starry sky and bright green trees behind him, was the Archer. Archer. My Archer.

  "Archer." I reached for him.

  He came to me eagerly. Our mouths met, and sparks flowed between us. I felt every inch of my body respond to him; the simple tingle becoming a rolling wave inside me. He moved until out bodies were laying side by side on the grass and, our mouths still locked, I slowly ran my hands over his naked chest. He caressed the place where my wings joined my body, and I gasped, arching my back in pleasure. He pressed closer to me and the yearning I had felt for him the past few days engulfed my heart, and with a great sigh, I rolled on top of him. My wings unfurled to their full glory, every feather now alive and perfect. I reached behind me and undid the straps of my suit, the fabric slipped from my body, and the moist greenhouse air touched my breasts. Groaning, Archer raised himself from the ground and ran his silver lipped mouth over me. His hands roved over my body, caressing every curve. I pushed him back to the grass and, with my wings flapping, letting me hover as the golden energy had done, I swiftly pulled his pants from his body.

  He is completely silver. Completely.

  As I marvelled at his body, he pulled at my own clothing and with a grunt and a tug we were naked in the grass together. The sight of my body seemed to soften his heart, and he pulled me tenderly to him. As our flesh met he moaned, his head falling back, his eyes closed. Waves of pleasure flowed through my body. As our passion grew a translucent orb formed around us and began to cycle through the colours of the rainbow and we moved in perfect rhythm with it. Our breath came faster. The colours flashed brighter. We moved together like we had known each other's body for millennia. Maybe we had. The pleasure grew until I could no longer hold it inside me. I cried out, and power flowed from me, every pore releasing a spark of energy. I watched the tiny particles of light rain down on Archer, and his body bucked with pleasure as my power touched him.

  When it was over, we fell back to the grassy floor, panting, sweaty, spent and alive. The orb around us dissolved, and we lay there looking at each other as the shimmery energy defused into the trees. Archer smiled at me.

  "Wow."

  The modern word sounded so strange coming from his mouth.

  "Really?" I giggled. "Wow?"

  "What? Isn't that what they say in your time?"

  "I've really missed you," I said, just a touch of seriousness in my voice.

  "I know, my love, I have missed you too." A shadow passed behind his eyes.

  "What is it?" I sat up and looked down at him. "What’s wrong?"

  "I don't know how to tell you this." He reached for his pants. Always a bad sign.

  "Just tell me."

  He was now on his feet and halfway back into his pants. His back was to me, and I was momentarily distracted by his perfect ass. He zipped up and turned to face me.

  "There is a Bounty on your head."

  I'm not sure what I was expecting him to say, but it wasn't that. The relief was strange, and I started to laugh.

  "Oh, that!" I grabbed my jumpsuit from the ground and stood up. I was taking a shower before I got dressed again. "I've known about that for a while."

  I started down the path back into the main house. The sky was dark, time had passed, I needed to get moving.

  "You have?" Disbelief was evident in his voice.

  "Yes. Yeren told me."

  "Yeren?!"

  "Yep, while she was attacking me."

  "What?!"

  "I tried very hard to find you, but I got sidetracked by some minions, and then there was the thing with Myhr."

  "Mhyr!?"

  I was at the foot of the grand staircase now. Archer grabbed my arm and spun me towards him. It pressed our naked chests together, and my breath quickened.

  "Why did you see Mhyr?" he asked in a quiet voice. I could see rage in his eyes.

  "I was trying to find you. Silverwood suggested…” He cut me off.

  "Silverwood! What.."

  "Look!" I shouted. "Are you going to let me tell you what happened or are you going to keep yelling?" I broke from him. "Well?"

  He swallowed audibly and then said through gritted teeth.

  "Please continue."

  "Let’s walk and talk. I need a shower."

  He followed me up the stairs. I could feel his eyes on me as I climbed. I'm not going to lie, it was hot. I tried to focus and keep talking. "Silverwood suggested I let the portals guide me to you. And before you ask, Benyst took me to see him." I didn't tell him about the incident with Benyst, better to leave that out for now, or forever, whatever. "So I jumped into a portal that felt like you, and it took me to a labyrinth of stone hallways.
I was trying to find you when I crossed paths with Mhyr."

  "What did Myhr say?" His voice was cold and hard as he said her name; I didn't want to see the expression on his face, so I just kept moving. I tossed my ruined jumpsuit on the floor as I made my way into the bathroom.

  "She was surprised you'd never mentioned her." I started the shower. "Why have you never mentioned her?"

  "She is not worth mentioning." I raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. "She was a part of my life at least a millennium ago, maybe longer. Did she hurt you?"

  "Well,” I got into the shower, shouting now above the rain of water, "She said you would never forgive her if she didn't help me, so she got me out of there before the others showed up."

  "What others?" Archer sounded truly frightened. I wiped steam from the glass enclosure and looked at him, he looked scared too.

  "I didn't get more than a glimpse of them. By the time they got near me, I was ready to Travel."

  "Good." He voice was lighter, and it hurt me to have to relay the rest of the tale.

  "Not good, actually,” I sighed, but it was swallowed up by the sound of the shower. "Basically she said if she ever saw me again she would kill me, and then she smashed my head into the wall and sent me Travelling."

  Archer's hands were suddenly in my wet hair. He gently moved my skull back and forth in his hands, running his fingers over every inch. I felt a gentle tingle as his energy probed me.

  "There is no wound now," he mused. He was now soaking wet, his pants clung to his muscled thighs, and I became very aware I was still naked.

  "Your pants are getting ruined." My voice was a husky whisper.

  "They'll be fine," he purred, his face inches from mine. "You healed yourself?"

  "Yeah." It was all I could manage.

  "Good." He kissed me delicately on the mouth and then stepped from the shower. "What happened after you left the tunnels?"

  "Well,” I said as I hastily tried to shake off the energy of his kiss. He could be so distracting sometimes. "Let me fill in some gaps first."

  I told him about the Minions coming to my parents' house and how they'd tricked me into following them to the City of Trees. I filled him in on my talk with Mastyx and the debacle that was my journey home. When I had finished my tale, I was clean, dressed and ready to go kick some Minion ass.

  "You did all that alone. I should have been here for you." He came up behind me as I stood before the bathroom mirror, nestled himself between my wings and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I promise I will never let you face such things alone again."

  "Don't promise that crap, Archer." He stepped back. "You can't be there all the time, it's just not possible." I turned to face him. "And honestly, I don't want you to be. I need to do things on my own; I need to know that I can take care of my life and my challenges." I stepped forward and put my hands on his chest. He didn't back away. "When things get too much, it's good to know you're here for me, supporting me and fighting the odd battle with me." He smiled, and I gave him a quick kiss. "But now is one of those times when I need to do something by myself."

  He frowned.

  "And what is that?"

  He was no going to like this.

  "I am going to the City of Caves, and I am ending this Bounty once and for all."

  I had never actually seen Archer angry. When we met he'd been playing the fallen hero card, and since then things in my life had been pretty low key, well until this Bounty thing, so I had really only seen him relaxed. I was getting an education in the many facets of Archer's personality now.

  He was pissed.

  Beyond pissed, actually.

  He screamed with rage, which sent me running backwards out of the bathroom and through to the bedroom. He followed me there, the whole time describing in disgusting the detail the terrible things that went on in the City of Caves. He then launched into a rant about how much I meant to him and how dare I risk my life so wantonly when he cared about me so much. I let him keep going until he had blown his anger out and collapsed on the bed, his chest heaving, a thin sheen of sweat on his body.

  I spoke in a whisper.

  "You're right." He sat bolt upright and stared at me, his silver eyes penetrating me to my core. "You had me convinced ten seconds into your argument. I'm sorry."

  He opened his arms to me, and I went to him. We held each other tightly. I didn't want to break the moment, but it had to be done.

  "Please come with me," I asked.

  "Damn it, Phoenix!" He moved away from me. "You still want to go there after all that I've told you!" It was my turn to get angry.

  "He has placed a Bounty on my head!" I tapped my skull. "This thing, right here! He has sent every creature in the Void after me! I will never be safe until this thing is over once and for all!" My anger moved like a tiny dragon inside me, wanting to break free. "I am going to his lair, and I am dragging him out by the scruff of his neck and ending this." I paused. "Are you coming with me or not?"

  He appraised me, cool, calm, like a general regards a soldier. Can she do this? Can she go into the depths of hell and come out whole?

  "I'm coming with you."

  "Thank you."

  "But first I have to show you something."

  "What's that?" This better not be more stall tactics.

  "My home."

  29

  Archer led the way downstairs, but not before he had made me change my boots for something more rugged ("You cannot fight without traction!") and put on a leather contraption that he apparently had given me for an occasion such as this.

  It was a cross between body armour and a strait jacket. It had sleeves of soft leather with lightweight metal panels on the forearms and biceps. I had to slide my arms into these, and then Archer wrapped the wide pieces of leather that were attached to the sleeves, around my body. It felt very strange going on, but when he was finished, and I looked in the mirror, I could see what a great piece of clothing it was. The straps fitted perfectly around my wings, protecting their joinings. The pieces continued around my torso, wrapping me with a thick coat of leather that although supple, would slow down any blade. I did notice, however, as I slipped on the sheath for my sword, that the straps crossed around my breast in a real cleavage enhancing fashion. I gestured at them.

  "Nice touch."

  He smiled.

  "Why not look good while kicking ass?"

  I slid my blade into its sheath.

  "Agreed."

  We headed out into the garden, brilliant stars shone above us. I gave the gargoyles, who were frozen at their posts once more, a gentle pat on the head as I passed them. Archer saw me do it and scowled. Since we had decided to go into the Caves, he had been slowly getting his game face on.

  "You are so strange, Phoenix."

  "Tip of the iceberg, babe."

  He sighed audibly and passed through the gate.

  I could have let myself be scared of walking through after all the thing had nearly killed me a few hours ago, but I didn't let the thought take root. I walked straight through the gate and was rewarded with the pleasant sensation it had always given me.

  "Excellent," I said quietly to myself.

  "Hurry up!" Archer barked. Apparently, he dealt with stress by getting angry. Oh boy, this was going to be fun.

  "Archer,” I said as I walked towards him, “You need to simmer down."

  "Excuse me?" He voice was low and dark again.

  "Chill. We are a team in this, equals, and I will not tolerate you yelling at me just because you are stressing out."

  "I am not stressing out!"

  "Really? We're getting ready to go into the City of Caves, and you’re not stressed? Well, I am. I am super stressed; in fact, I'd go as far to say I'm frightened. Yep, I'm scared shitless, but I'm not yelling at you or getting surly with you. So do me a favour, save it for the fight."

  Silence.

  I tried to keep the frustration from my voice, but he was making it very difficult.

&n
bsp; "Okay?" I prodded.

  "Okay." He said quietly.

  "Thank you." I strode past him and stood by the portal. Since Silverwood had opened my mind to them, I could see them very clearly now.

  "So where are we going?"

  "To my home."

  These Travellers never change, always so cryptic. I said nothing and took Archer's hand. His face was grim as we leapt into the portal.

  30

  The ground was at an angle. Loose pebbles moved beneath my feet, and I struggled for a few moments as I tried to find my footing. When I felt like I was no longer about to go sliding, I looked up.

  We were on the side of a steep hill covered in loose slate shards. The Archer was about fifteen feet above me. Here and there I could see miniature stone landslides rolling down the mountain. Yes, mountain was a far more accurate word. As I looked past Archer, I could see that this rise of jagged stone went high into the sky. I couldn't make out the summit, it was covered in clouds, but I could make out where the small stones became large boulders. It was so far from where we stood I was really hoping I didn't have to climb up there.

  "Do you see where the stones become boulders?" Archer called.

  Oh crap.

  "Yes."

  "That is where we must get to."

  Double crap.

  "Right, um..." I hesitated, it really was insanely far, and I could barely stand on the stone let alone climb it.

  "Yes?"

  There was concern on Archer’s face and, if I wasn't mistaken, a tiny bit of fear. Maybe he was scared to show me his home? Maybe I was the first person he'd brought here? I forced my mind back to reality and tried to respond to him.

  "Honestly, Archer, I'm sorry, I don't think I can climb up there."

  He gave a short laugh that echoed off our rocky surroundings then turned and started to run, bloody run, up the rocky hill. He called back to me as he moved with the sure-footedness of a mountain goat.