Mend the Flesh (The Phoenix Series Book 3)

by Sarah Rockwood

  As I climbed the stairs, I thought about the gargoyles. They were a big part of my life here, and the little guys had helped me so much. It was time that they became a part of every aspect of my life. It was time to free the gargoyles from whatever magic held them and introduce my little friends to my friends of various sizes.

  I locked the bedroom door behind me and made a beeline for the bathroom. I locked that door behind me too and hurried over to the fireplace. Grog and Brog were as I'd left them; on the edges of the grate just inside the hearth nestled amongst the glowing embers.

  "Guys? Can you wake up please?"

  Nothing.

  "Guys?"

  Grog cracked open a single eye and whispered.

  "Is she gone?"

  "Who?"

  "The siren."

  "She's downstairs with the others."

  "Others?" Brog yelped.

  "Guys, it's okay. I've locked both doors; no one can get in here."

  "But they could hear us!" Grog whispered.

  "That's part of why I'm here." Both gargoyles now had a single eye open and were staring at me, their bodies remained like statues. "I'd like to introduce you to them."

  "What!" Brog sat up straight.

  "Brog!" Grog sat up straight. "We're not supposed to move!"

  "Sorry!" Brog froze, but he was sitting upright, and his eyes were as wide as saucers. It wasn't much of a cover.

  "It's okay, guys. I'd like you to be able to talk to my friends, to come to life around them."

  "Why?" Grog looked suspicious.

  "Because you are super important to me, you are my friends, my family."

  The gargoyles looked at each other, it was Brog that spoke.

  "No one's ever said that before." A little pebble fell from the corner of his eye, it bounced on the hearth, and I caught it.

  "Will you please reveal yourselves to my friends?"

  "Grog?" Brog looked at his brother.

  "Once we do this it cannot be undone, they will always know we are alive."

  "I think it might be nice to have friends." Brog shuffled forward and put his arms around Grog. "We can trust Phoenix, she's been very good to us, she's kept us safe."

  "She has indeed." Grog took a deep breath, his little stone chest rising and falling, Brog moving with it.

  "So, you'll do it?" I asked.

  "Yes. We will," Grog said.

  "Okay, what do I have to do?"

  "Do?" Brog asked.

  "Yeah, to break the spell and stuff."

  "My lady," Grog said, "there is no spell."

  "Oh, so you guys can just come to life whenever you want?"

  "Pretty much." Brog beamed.

  "So why didn't you come to life when I carried you back here?"

  The gargoyles looked at each other, Grog answered for them.

  "You looked nice, and we were tired of the ruins, but we had to be sure."

  "Oh, okay, makes sense. I thought it was like some big magical thing." I stood up. "Well, would you guys like to come downstairs?"

  "Very much!" Brog practically bounced to the bathroom door.

  26

  Brog moved like a toddler in a rolling series of mini falls while trying to keep his big head upright. He and Grog both have giant heads for the size of their bodies so I could see how it could be problematic. Brog had the added issue of the chunk of stone missing from the top of his skull. Grog, on the other hand, was extremely agile and focused. He stayed right on Brog and made sure he didn't hit any walls or lag too far behind, but he did it in a way that felt natural. He did it in a way that felt normal, which I guess it was.

  When we got to the top of the stairs, I paused.

  "You guys okay going down the stairs?"

  "Yes," Grog answered, "we have done it many times."

  "It's my favourite." Brog smiled and then with a level of agility I hadn't expected, he climbed up the stair post and then onto the bannister.

  "You slide down?"

  "It's great." He smiled and slid down the bannister.

  "Wait for me," Grog said and then slid down after Brog.

  "And me." I trotted quickly down after them.

  When we got to the landing, I could hear the others talking in the kitchen.

  "Okay, wait outside the kitchen until I get you."

  "Yes, my lady." Grog's face was very serious.

  "It's going to be okay, Grog." I smiled. He nodded.

  I hovered in the kitchen doorway and waited until the conversation in the room had died down.

  "Hi guys," I said. They all looked at me.

  "Hello," Said Benyst.

  "What is it?" Noiryn asked.

  "Well, I have some friends I'd like you to meet."

  "They are here, in the house?" Sid asked, his spine straightening.

  "Yes, they live here with me. We are very close, and I'd like them to be a part of what we're doing here. I'd like you all to meet them."

  "Then let’s go." Spin moved to get down from the island.

  "That's okay, wait here."

  I walked out to the hallway to find the gargoyles sitting huddled together just outside the spill of light from the kitchen. I knelt down in front of them.

  "You guys ready to do this?"

  "Yep!" Brog said, and then without warning, he climbed onto my lap and up into my arms. I had a moment to brace myself against his weight when Grog scrambled up after him.

  "Um, so I'm carrying you in?"

  "Yes, please," Grog whispered, he was shivering ever so slightly. I hadn't realised just how scared he was.

  "Grog, Brog, it's going to be okay. These are good people. But if you don't like them or need to go back to being statues when they're around, that's okay too. You can even just hide out in my rooms if that's what you need."

  "Thank you," Grog's voice was a little stronger, "let us go meet your friends. But first," he pulled away from me, "I think I shall walk in." He climbed out of my arms. "Just don't go too far."

  "Cool." I smiled and then got to my feet with Brog in my arms.

  I walked into the kitchen, Grog right on my heels.

  "Guys, this is Brog and Grog."

  The others were quiet as I put Brog down on the island. Grog tugged on my pant leg, and I lifted him up to sit beside Brog. I leant against the island so the two gargoyles could lean against me.

  "Hello, Brog. Hello, Grog," Noiryn said, her third eye was moving slowly over them. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Noiryn."

  "It is nice to meet you, Noiryn," Grog said, his voice was back to its strong gravel sound.

  "I'm Benyst. Pleased to meet you."

  "And you." Brog smiled.

  Spin scooted forward and reached out his hand.

  "I am Spin." The gargoyles didn't move.

  "He wants to shake your hand, like this." I reached out and shook Spin's hand.

  "Cool!" Brog reached out and vigorously shook Spin's hand.

  "Nice shake!" Spin smiled and turned to Grog, who shook his hand in a much more controlled fashion.

  "You guys hungry?" Royal put a plate of rocks in front of the gargoyles. "I'm Royal." He winked and went back to the stove.

  "Thank you!" Brog tucked into the rocks, Grog picked one up and sniffed it.

  "You guys eat rocks?" I asked.

  "Yes," Grog said.

  "How did you know they eat rocks?" I asked Royal.

  "I've seen their kind before."

  "You have?" Grog asked quickly, his eyes bright.

  "Oh yeah, a long time ago, I met a couple of you in an old castle. Good guys."

  "Do you remember their names?" Grog asked.

  "Hmmm, let’s see, Quar and Quart, I think."

  "We know them!" Brog exclaimed, a little pebble fell out of his mouth and bounced along the island.

  "They are distant cousins," Grog explained.

  It was at this point that I realised Sid hadn't introduced himself. I looked over to where he had been sitting, but the chair was empty.
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  "Where's Sid?"

  "He's right here." Noiryn turned and then stopped short. "He was here."

  "He slipped out after you left the room," Benyst said.

  "What? Why?"

  "I do not know, he slipped to the floor and hugged the wall as he left. I assumed he did not want to be seen." Benyst had picked up the pebble that had fallen from Brog's mouth and was examining it. He gave it a sniff and then popped it in his mouth. He saw me watching him and shrugged. "They seem to like them."

  "I'm going to go look for Sid. You guys okay here?" I asked the gargoyles, they were deep in conversation with Spin.

  "Oh yes, he's fun," Brog said.

  "Don't be long," Grog said in a quiet voice.

  "I won't be." I patted his back, it was cold and hard. "Royal? Can you come with me please?" He nodded, wiped his hands on a towel and walked out to the hallway. I turned to Noiryn. "Why don't you guys move through to the living room? Brog and Grog make a great fire."

  "We do," Grog said. "Can you lift us down, please?"

  "I can do it," Noiryn said as she moved towards them. "If that's okay."

  Grog looked at her shrewdly and then nodded. There was a lot of nodding going on; we were going to need a chiropractor on site soon. I left them to it and went out to the hall to find Royal. He had lit the lanterns, and the hall now glowed with warm yellow light. The light played with the colours in his wings making him look like a weathered angle, touched with light yet worn by time.

  "So, where do you think he went?" I asked him.

  "It doesn't really matter where he went. The real question is why did he go."

  "Huh, I hadn't thought of that. Why do you think he left?"

  "Something is going on here that he doesn't like, or there's something here that he likes very much."

  "The greenhouse. But I locked the door. He can't get in there."

  "Okay, then something is going on here that he doesn't like."

  "Like what?"

  "Well, it seems to me that he was used to having you all to himself. And now you've got a lot of friends. And he was also used to you being very weak and dependent on him, and the people he approved of, who were also coincidentally pretty weak when he approved of them. But now you're stronger, in control, and the people he chose to help you have grown stronger and more whole in his absence. He's not in control anymore."

  "Wow. I didn't think he could be that petty."

  "It's just a theory. Like his that someone set you up in the Caves."

  "How did you know about that?" I asked sharply.

  "Honey, he told you in my house. I hear everything in my house."

  "So what do you think?"

  "I think he's right."

  "You do?"

  "Yep, that place is one of the oldest strongholds in Traveller history. It's beyond powerful. And you just waltzed in there..."

  "Like the wind."

  "Exactly." Apparently Royal has never seen Big Trouble in Little China.

  "So what do I do about Sid?"

  "First, we find him. Second, we talk to him."

  "We?"

  "I'm standing here aren't I?"

  "Yep."

  27

  We did a quick search of the upper floor, Royal checking under the beds and me handling the closets. I didn't think Sid would hide under a bed or in a closet, but we needed to be sure. It was also a good way to refresh myself with the layout of the house. I hadn't spent that much time here, and it felt excellent to see that not only did I have seven bedrooms, each one had an ensuite bathroom. Swanky. There was only one downside.

  "How am I going to clean all of this?" I muttered to no one in particular.

  "You don't," Royal answered.

  "Won't it get kind of gross then?"

  "Nope, every once and a while you just toss some power over everything, and it cleans itself."

  "Oh, that's convenient."

  "Sure is. Let's check downstairs."

  We didn't have any luck down there either. We could hear the group in the living room, they were laughing and talking, Grog's gravelly voice rising and falling as he told a story.

  We doubled back to the kitchen, but no Sid. We checked the weapons room, which was where I was pretty sure we would find him. But nothing. We checked the door to the greenhouse. It was still locked up tight.

  Sid wasn't in the house.

  "Time to check the yard." Royal was out the door before I could agree.

  It was dark out, near midnight by the deepness of the night sky and the brightness of the stars.

  "No moon," I said.

  "I think you've had enough moon for a while." Royal smiled, in the dark his teeth were a ghostly white.

  "We should have brought a flash light," I said.

  "You've got to get in the game, girl." Royal raised his hand, and a ball of bright white light appeared. It illuminated the area around us.

  "That is so cool."

  "So do it," he quipped.

  "How?" Royal doused his light ball and put his hands on his hips.

  "Just, do it."

  I huffed out a sigh and held my hand in front of my face. I looked at it and thought 'light ball.' I felt a slight sizzling sensation in my palm, and a ball of bright green light appeared in my hand.

  "Cool!"

  "Yep, you just got to work on the colour." The green light made Royal look like he was going to puke. I'm sure I didn't look much better.

  "Right." I stared hard at the ball of light and thought 'white.' The green flickered and then settled into a bright white light.

  "Good. Now let’s look for Sid."

  We walked the grounds around the house and even grabbed a big stick and dragged it through the pond, but no Sid.

  "Maybe he left? Like, totally left?" I dropped the ball of light into my left hand and shook out the right, it was starting to get a bit hot.

  "Let's go see."

  Royal took off across the lawn, his long strides making short work of the distance to the gate. He crossed through without a pause, and I joined him on the other side.

  "There he is." Royal pointed.

  And there he was. Sid. He was sitting on a log in the little shelter area Spin had created. He had the fire going and sat unmoving, staring into the flames.

  "I'd better go talk to him."

  "I'll stay right here," Royal said, not taking his eyes off of Sid.

  "Thank you."

  I extinguished my ball of light and stepped off the path and into the brush. There was no way to hide my approach, the brush rustled with my every move, and the twigs under my feet popped at regular intervals. Sid had to know I was approaching, and yet he didn't move. I entered the campsite and took a seat on a log opposite him. I looked across the fire at his small frame. He looked sad and angry. Sangry. It's like 'hangry,' but much harder to rectify.

  "Sid?" He blinked but didn't answer me. "Sid? Are you okay?"

  And then we sat there. I gave him time to answer, maybe 'are you okay?' was a harder question for him than I realised. I sat in silence and waited. Finally, he broke the silence.

  "I don't think so." His voice was dry. It was really creepy to hear him speak without the usual pile of phlegm.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I don't feel right. I feel angry."

  "What are you angry about?"

  "You misunderstand me. I am not angry about something, I am anger. My heart is anger. My heart wants anger."

  "Oh." This was getting scary, I was glad Royal was nearby. I could just make out his wings frame by the gate.

  "My heart wants violence." Sid looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot and intense. It chilled me, and I recoiled at the strength of his gaze.

  "You see it. I know you do. I tried to fight it, but since our return to the Caves, the feeling has grown."

  "The Caves? Do you think a spell there infected you?"

  He laughed, it was mirthless.

  "Oh, I wish that were true. No, I have not been infected. I have
been revealed."

  "What do you mean, Sid? You're scaring me."

  "I belong with my kind."

  "The minions? But we're liberating them."

  "You are so foolish." His voice sounded harsh, like rough stone dragged across the pavement. "You will only be able to rule the weak, the ones at the bottom of the pile, the carrion."

  "Sid, what are you saying?"

  "You do not have the power."

  "Okay, we've been over this, Sid. You need to stop treating me like a helpless..." Sid cut me off.

  "You are weak, you are nothing, you are not strong enough and never will be. I will lay claim to the City, and I will lay claim to the minion throne. And if you get in my way, I will stop you."

  Venom dripped from his every word. It shocked me, and I stammered my response.

  "What? Sid? You can't be serious."

  He stood.

  "I will own my people."

  He was serious. Deadly serious. Something in me clicked. Something in me became deadly calm, and I stood, my wings spread. Power rolled in my belly, a deep red power that steadied my legs and steeled my heart. I looked Sid dead in the eyes, the flames flashing between us.

  "Bring it, bitch."

  He hissed a horrible guttural sound, then ran off into the darkness.

  28

  "Fuck!" I bellowed into the night.

  I could hear Royal running through the brush, the trees made flying impossible.

  "Phoenix! Are you alright?" He was panting, concern painted all over his face.

  "No. I am not fucking alright." I was breathing really hard. I had to get a grip on myself.

  "What happened?" Royal asked.

  "We need to get inside the gate." I looked around; it was pitch black everywhere beyond the firelight. Sid could be anywhere. "We need to get to the others, now."

  "Okay. Breathe a little slower for me, honey." I shot him a look. "Please."

  I forced a breath deep into my lungs and then let it out as slowly as I could with my heart going apeshit in my chest. It took a few goes before I was calm enough to speak again.

  "We need to put out the fire," I said.

  "Good, real good." Royal nodded at my now calm manner. "I've got it covered." With a simple movement of his hand the fire was doused, the ashes cold and black.