"After you killed Big G."
"You know about that?"
"Darling," he threw up his hands, "I know about everything! But that particular piece of news was gargantuan and would not have stayed secret for anything in the Universe. Everybody knows."
"Huh. Speaking of things people know, how did you know where I lived?"
"I know everything." He looked exasperated. "But continue with your tale, you had killed Big G and were now locked in mortal battle with the giant chrome muscled Mhyr."
We had reached my Travelling clearing, we stopped walking and turned to each other.
"Right, so I was pretty sure she was going to kill me, and then I just started getting really hot. Super hot. I thought I was going to melt from the inside out, but instead, I burst into flames and then just kind of exploded."
"Fassssscinating. So you look like this," he reached out and gently touched my cheek with the tip of his finger, "All over?"
"Yep."
"Oh, my darling, Phoenix, I am so sorry."
"Don't be. It used to be much worse. Seriously worse. Like skeletal worse."
"Ew."
"Exactly. I'm doing much better now and getting stronger every day. So, let’s get right to it, the reason why you are here."
"Go on." He smiled.
"It's pretty obvious to anyone with half as many informants as you, you're here to talk about me joining the Guard."
"Yes. I am." He just stared at me.
"So... Make with the talky talk."
"My dear, at times you have a terrible sense of language."
"And at times I'm a bloody poet. You've been good to me Mastyx, but you haven't really been nice to me. So let’s get to the meat of the conversation."
"Nice?" He rolled the word around his mouth like he had never heard it before. Maybe he hadn't.
"It's a way some humans like to treat each other, and a way most humans like being treated."
"I know what nice is, bird." He was getting pissed. "To my mind, I have been quite nice to you. Nicer to you than I have been to many others."
"You left me at Cosima's place to die!"
"No, not die. I had no doubt in your ability to beat her."
"But you left me on the beach with no way to get out of there."
"And yet, get out of there you did."
"Wow." I took a deep breath and counted to a thousand, okay, three. "Moving on, is there something specific you'd like to discuss regarding my joining the Guard."
"Yes. Don't do it."
"Okay."
"I'm serious."
"Yes, I can see that, but Mastyx, what the hell else am I going to do? I have to join. I killed Big G, which made me the leader of the minions."
"You don't have to take the chair. I'm sure many Minions would happily battle it out for a chance at the position."
"I'm not comfortable with that."
"Comfortable with what?"
"With leaving the minions to their violent ways. I was in the City of Caves, I saw firsthand just how disgusting it was. Big G treated them like garbage, and they treated each other even worse." I lowered my voice. "Sid was chained to a wall. And Spin..." I took a breath, "Terrible things happened to them under Ganaraj."
"Ganaraj was not the cause of their violence, Phoenix. He only allowed it to continue. There have been other leaders before him, and each was just as violent and terrible as Big G. His death will not change them." He paused. "Nor will you."
"But not all of them want the violence! Some of them, a good many, were happy I was there! They were relieved that Ganaraj was gone. What about them?"
"Then perhaps you should build a village for them on your doorstep, and they can all live in harmony with you here." I shot him a look. "Again, I am serious. You cannot change them all, and if some indeed are finished with their lives of violence and pain, perhaps the most humane thing would be for them to leave the Caves all together?"
"Can I do that? Can I split up a species?"
"Well, that I do not know. I don't think it has actually been done before. But it would certainly be interesting." He smiled.
"And you love interesting."
"You know it, babe."
"Either way, keep them together or break them apart, I have to take a seat on the Guard to make that happen, yes?"
"Well, yes."
"Any tips on making that go smoothly?"
"The Archer has not discussed this with you?"
"Oh, your fishing trips are so subtle."
"Guilty." He smiled, his tongue flicked out. "But based on your response, that is a no. He has not given you his council. So I shall give you mine." He began to pace the clearing. "It will not be easy. Cosima will most definitely throw an epic fit."
"Well, I knew that."
"Indeed. I am unsure of how the others will respond. I cannot recall an occasion where a member of another species has taken the chair on their behalf. I would keep your thoughts of splitting the minions to yourself."
"Um, that's your idea."
"Yes, and you should think about it. It's quite a good one." He continued. "I would keep that thought to yourself and focus on taking the chair to represent them all. I'm not sure what the Guard will decide, but there will most definitely be a challenge or trial of some sort."
"Why? I already killed Big G."
"Because, they, we," he purred, "are powerful and strong and can do whatever we want." He stroked his chest. "So I would bring as many allies with you as you can, to show force, that you are no longer alone in the Void. That may help."
"May?"
"This isn't an exact science, my dear. You seem to have a knack for creating problems with which we have never dealt." He looked me up and down. "So interesting. Do you think we will ever...?" He wiggled the ridge of flesh above his eyes at me.
"Nope."
"Never?"
"Never."
"Is it the scales?" He played with his chest some more.
"Nope, it's just a general personality conflict."
"I thought I was being nice." He dropped his arms. "Can we at least be friends?" More wiggling.
"I'll think about it."
"Well, that I will take." He bowed low. "Goodbye, Phoenix. No doubt, I will see you again very soon."
"Thanks, Mastyx."
Then he was gone.
24
I walked back with Mastyx's advice spinning through my brain. Upon reflection, it wasn't much: bring a team and be prepared for a challenge. The story of my life. It would be nice if Archer could be part of that team, but that wasn't possible right now.
I needed to get myself on the Guard. Once I was established there, we could reveal our relationship, and then I could start changing the rules. Like not outlawing healing across the species, and maybe even allowing the healing of humans and animals when we Travelled.
I flashed back to one of my first wing visions: I was in a dungeon watching women being interrogated, aka tortured, for being something a bunch of dumb men couldn't understand. They had burned one of them at the stake. I had wanted so badly to help her, to take her pain away, and I couldn't. My powers couldn't cross over to her. It broke my heart. But to help them, to save them like I wanted to, would have changed history, which would cause ripples throughout time, the consequences of which could not be foreseen. Which was a real bitch.
When I got back to my gate, I found my friends sitting in a comfortable circle around a fire that Spin was tending to. He looked up from his work and saw me.
"You're back!" Spin smiled.
"I'm back."
"How did it go?" Benyst asked. Noiryn was leaning on his shoulder, she looked, for lack of a better term, dry.
"Tell you inside. Noiryn, are you okay?"
"Just a little dry," she replied. Huh, I was right.
"Okay, let’s get you inside. I have a wicked bathtub."
"Oh," Benyst scooped her up into his arms like she weighed nothing. To be fair, she does have that whole tiny fish bon
e thing going on. "The tub," she continued "what did it do?"
"Do?"
"You said it was wicked." It took me a second.
"Sorry, it's a human expression, it means great."
"That doesn't make any sense," Benyst grumbled.
"No, I guess it doesn't."
Our rag-tag group had made it to the gate. Spin bringing up the rear after putting out the cooking. I asked Spin where he'd found the water.
"Oh, I just peed on it," He replied.
"Efficient." Royal quipped.
My five friends gathered around me, Noiryn cradled in Benyst's arms, in front of the gate. I looked at Sid.
"Is there like, something formal I have to do to let you in?"
"No."
"Okaaaaay." I stepped aside and gestured to the gate. "Come on in."
Nobody moved.
"Welcome my friends!" I said as formally as I could muster.
Again, nobody moved.
"Are you guys coming in or what?"
"You have to go through first," Sid answered.
"That would have been helpful info, you know when I'd asked for it."
"I do not consider walking through a gate a 'formal' activity," he replied.
I shrugged and walked through the gate. I think I heard Royal mutter 'this is going to be great' as he trailed behind me.
My home was as beautiful and majestic as always. The strong stone walls rose into the sky, and the sun glinted off the roof of the greenhouse, its large glass bulk filled with trees. The wide stone steps welcomed me forward, and I crossed the lawn with quick steps, eager to lay my hand on the warm wood of the epic front door. My foot hit the first tread of the steps when a loud splashing sound filled the air.
"What was that?" I spun around. The group was stretched behind me in a haphazard line, Benyst's arms were now empty. "Where's Noiryn?"
"You didn't tell me you had a pond!" she called.
"I guess I just thought you'd prefer the bath." Although the pond was beautiful, it did have a significant amount of green slime around the edges.
"This is better!" Noiryn said before disappearing under the water.
I got the boys inside. They made sounds of appreciation and wonder as they explored the lower level, with Spin exclaiming that everything was 'beautiful!' and 'so clean!' As they looked around, I noticed Sid standing outside the door of the greenhouse. He was just staring at the door.
"What's up, Sid?"
"There is great power beyond this door."
"It's a special place to me."
"That is evident." He turned to me, his eyes were gleaming. "I would suggest you lock this door."
"Why?" I said cautiously.
"Because this power is not something you should share."
"But is it something someone would take?"
"Yes." He looked back at the door. "I'm not sure I can restrain myself."
"What?"
"You must lock this door."
"I don't think I have a key."
"Lock it with your power!" His voice was a harsh whisper. "Really, Phoenix, you must embrace what you are!"
"Who. Who I am."
"Semantics. Lock this door."
I looked at Sid. His breathing had become ragged, and his back heaved with it. As I watched, he reached out and made to place his hand on the door, but at the last moment stopped.
"Sid, what's going on?"
"I cannot deny what I am," he replied. "I am a minion, and we are creatures that take. Please lock the door."
"Okay, I will."
"Thank you." He pulled his hand away and quickly shuffled out of the room.
"That was interesting." Royal's quiet voice sounded behind me.
"How much of that did you hear?"
"All of it." He stepped up beside me. "He may want to be your friend, but he may not be able to handle what a friendship with you entails."
"What do you mean?"
"You're a powerful person, Phoenix. And loyal. You love deeply, quickly and fiercely."
"I guess so." He smiled.
"Some Travellers can't handle that, they don’t know what it means, or how they should act. You'd known me two minutes, and you trusted me completely. I could have been a complete psycho, but you trusted me.
"You didn't give me a reason not to."
"Not yet." He smiled.
"Not yet." I smiled back.
"And God help me if I do."
"God? I didn't know Travellers had God."
"It's just a turn of phrase, something I picked up watching humans."
"Right."
"I'll keep an eye on Sid, and make some dinner."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now lock that door." I opened my mouth to ask how. "Just walk up to it, call your power and picture the door sealed."
"Thanks."
He nodded and walked away.
I looked at the door. It looked back at me. Okay, it didn't. But I wouldn't rule anything out anymore. Sid's reaction had freaked me out. Did I actually know Sid that well? Yes, I'd known him a long time, but most of that time was spent in my old apartment back when I thought I was just a human. Oh, such simple times. Maybe his time in the Caves had messed him up, lessened his control on his minion tendencies? I'd better get this door locked. I did not want Sid anywhere near my circle.
I put my palms on the door and spread my fingers wide. The wood felt warm and solid under my hands. I ran my hands all over it, feeling every inch. As I caressed the wood, I called to it. I told it what I intended to do, what I need from it, how much I valued its contribution to my safety and peace of mind. I sweet talked the hell out of that door and meant every word. I'd have to be a complete idiot to miss that intention was a huge part of making power work. I had to believe deep in the core of my soul, or the magical locking of this door would never happen. I had to believe that the door was in this with me. Together we would lock it. Together we would keep my greenhouse safe.
"Okay, time to make some magic," I whispered to the door.
In my mind's eye, I reached down into the centre of my body, below my heart: the place where all my vital systems connected, the place where my body flowed from one meridian to the other. I reached into that place, and I called forth my power. After our recent journey through the caves, my energy was simmering, just waiting for another chance to let loose.
My power came quickly in a bright blue wave that flowed through my body, washing clean any tension my muscles held. I took a deep breath, my ribs moving smoothly under the grey of my jumpsuit. My wings stretched at my back, bucking slightly at their fabric casings. The blue wave moved through my brain, calming my mind and focusing my thoughts. I closed my eyes and willed my power into my hands, then fingers, then out into the wood beneath their tips.
The blue changed to green as it made contact with the old oak and flowed through the channels that had once been filled with water and sap. The wood still held its own power like all great wood does, and through my eyelids, I could see the door glow green as our powers mingled. The wood allowed me entry, it welcomed me, and soon we were joined. The door was alive and linked to me. It would only open to my call. It would only yield to me and I to it. I would not allow low energy to cross its threshold and it would not allow those without permission to pass through.
We sealed our pact there in the quiet entryway and then the power receded, pulled back to my belly as the wood returned to its slumber.
I stepped back from the door and took a deep breath. In one day I had become bonded to a minion and a door. Things in my life were getting stranger at an exponential rate, and yet, I felt great. I felt centred. I felt more myself than I ever had. More myself than I had ever felt when I was a human. And maybe that was it, maybe I had to finally accept that I never had been human. I had never felt right because I was never right. I was out of place in that world, so easily dismissed as the black sheep, the odd one out, the weird one, when really I just was a saltwater fish in a freshwater p
ond. Now that I had found my home, my power, my self, I felt better than ever.
I heard laughter coming from the kitchen and drifted toward it, every step I took landing solidly on the stone floor of my home.
25
Noiryn was standing in the centre of the kitchen wrapped in a big fluffy towel I recognised from my bathroom upstairs. She looked radiant. Her third eye was open, and it stayed trained on Benyst who was laughing around a mouthful of Royal's cooking. Royal had his back to me as he stood over the stove, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Spin was sitting on the large island in the middle of the room, picking at a plate of food and laughing. Even Sid chuckled from his chair a the eat-in table.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Noiryn was just telling us about some humans," Spin answered.
"Humans? Do tell." I sat down at the island and Royal had a plate of food in front of me before I could ask.
"Oh, I was just telling them about the time I saw a group of humans line up to jump one at a time from a board into the water."
Evidently, diving boards make no sense to Travellers.
"Yes, humans are into that kind of thing."
"Why aren't you laughing like we did?" Spin asked.
"Because Phoenix was a human," Sid said. The room quieted.
"You were?" Spin's eyes widened.
"Sorry, Spin, I thought everybody knew. I lived as a human for about thirty years before these guys," I pointed at Sid, Noiryn and Benyst, "helped me regain my wings."
"And now you're just a Traveller?"
"Well, now I think I'm something a little bit in between."
"Cool!" He tucked back into his food, no more answers necessary.
"You look much better," I said to Noiryn.
"Your pond is fantastic. A little green though, I had to take a quick shower after I'd had my fill. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." I finally took a bite of the pasta Royal had made. "This is great!"
"Thank you," he said as he puttered around the kitchen.
"Where did you get the gargoyles statues?" Noiryn asked. My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. "It's so interesting how you have them sitting in the fireplace like that."
"Um... I'll be right back."
I pushed back from the island and was out of the room before they could ask me any more questions.
Mend the Flesh (The Phoenix Series Book 3) Page 12
