The Phoenix (The Prophecy #1)

by Jessica McCrory

  “Don’t look at me like that dear, it was a long time ago.” Carmen scolded her but laughed as she did it. “I was about your age when it happened.”

  “What happened?”

  Carmen took a drink from her coffee and Anastasia noted the unshed tears in her eyes.

  “One evening a man from the local village came to my cottage, he said that there was an urgent matter and that they needed my help. It caught me by surprise because the villagers had always kept their distance from me, afraid of the power I possessed.

  Naturally I jumped at the opportunity to show them I was not as they feared, and so I kissed my husband goodbye and headed out the door with the man. When I got to the village I was surprised to see that there weren’t many people in the streets as their usually was, but I assumed that it was because of the emergency the man had told me about.” She paused and Anastasia saw the difficulty she was having with retelling the story.

  “It was when we got to the center of town that I realized I had been tricked. I turned to see that they were dragging my husband in as well and that he had been badly injured. The villagers began accusing me of being a dark sorceress. They offered a trade- my life willingly, or they would kill my husband. I agreed immediately and they dropped him and came for me.

  I let them come, I let them tie me up and I awaited my sentence as I begged for mercy and pleaded my case to them. I had never hurt anyone with my magic or otherwise, we would leave, they would never see us again. Whatever I thought they might want to hear. But none of it worked.

  Then the man who came for me told me that he was disgusted with ‘my kind’ and that we were an ‘abomination’. He pulled a knife from his waist and slit my husband’s throat. I was forced to watch him die in front of me.”

  Carmen’s wrinkled hands were shaking and she set her mug on the small table in front of her. “I lost my mind and before I knew it I felt the depth of my power flowing through my veins. I decimated that town, killed every man who had stood in front of me judging me for what I had not done when they were the ones who were the ‘abominations’.” The anger in her voice had Anastasia balling her fists. She wished she could go back and help her get vengeance for her husband.

  “I knelt next to my husband and held him while I felt the rage building in my veins. I wanted more blood, more power and I was willing to do whatever it was necessary to get it.”

  “What brought you back?”

  Carmen smiled now, it was hollow but Anastasia saw the light in her eyes as she thought back.

  “My daughter.”

  “You had a child.”

  “Not yet. With the excess power in my blood I began feeling something more, a life force almost. It’s the only way I can explain it. I felt her growing inside of me, the innocence of her and she became my light. I pulled out from the power and promised my husband that I would raise her to make him proud, and that’s what I did.”

  “Did she have magic?”

  “Thankfully no, she did not take after me in that aspect. Although, it seemed her heritage had her seeking out the power anyways.”

  “Seeking it? How so?”

  “She married into it.”

  Suddenly things began to make sense. The comfort she felt in the home, the familiarity of the woman.

  “I see you are beginning to understand.”

  Anastasia nodded and looked at the woman again, searching for any sign that she might be wrong, yet hoping that she wasn’t.

  “Annabelle was your daughter.”

  “She was, still is in here.” She pointed to her heart.

  “That means that you are my-”

  “Grandmother.”

  Anastasia didn’t know what to feel. She was ecstatic that she had family that was still alive. She wasn’t alone there was someone here who understood what she was becoming and what she was capable of, and yet a part of her was still confused as to how Carmen had found her in the first place.

  “When your parents brought you here to me, and they asked me to help them defeat Vincent, I opened myself and I felt the power in you child. It is incredible what you are capable of and I imagine you could spend an entire lifetime exploring it and still hardly scratch the surface.”

  “Why? How did I get so powerful?”

  “Destiny is a funny thing. You were given the gifts you need in order to succeed in yours.”

  “But why me?”

  “Why are any of us chosen for certain tasks? We may never know, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is your destiny child, and you are more than capable of achieving it you only have to believe.”

  “I turned.”

  “You’re not too far gone yet, Anastasia.”

  “Dakota won’t be coming for me.” She said sadly. “It’s just not possible.”

  “Ye of little faith, he will come for you, Anastasia. That boy would search for you to the ends of the earth, and right on in to every world he could find, I’m sure of it.”

  “How am I even talking to you now?”

  “You are trapped, I was able to free your mind temporarily but my magic won’t it hold much longer. I fear that Vincent has realized something is off.”

  Anastasia began to notice the strain Carmen was under. “We don’t have much time, you will not recall any of this until you come out, but you have to fight, Anastasia. When Dakota comes for you, take his hand, let him lead you back into the light. If you forget everything else, please remember that. When you come back, come and find me. I am closer than you think.” Carmen smiled at her and everything went dark.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  “I have to find her, Tony.” Dakota began to pace the small cottage. It had been a week since Anastasia had sent him through the portal. He couldn’t get the image of her standing in that clearing surrounded by fire and Brutes out of his head. When she had smiled at him he had seen her, but he knew she had only been hanging on by a thread.

  “You think I don’t? She is like a daughter to me. We will find her, but it has to be the right way. He will kill you, do you not understand that?” Tony pleaded with him.

  “I don’t think he will.” Elizabeth said from her corner of the room. Both Tony and Dakota looked at her in shock. “Well, don’t you both stare at me that way. I don’t like this plan either, but I don’t see any other way.” Her jaw clenched and she began to pace the same way Dakota was.

  “You two will wear a hole in my floor if you don’t stop.” Tony said half-jokingly.

  “I think he will use Dakota as leverage against Anastasia. If he does want to kill you,” she said to Dakota, “It will be in front of her, he will want her to see it.”

  “That’s comforting.” Tony scoffed.

  “It is, because if I can get close enough to her I can bring her back.” Dakota crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You said she went dark, Dakota.”

  “I said I thought she did. But I'm telling you, Tony, I can do it. If we can just find a way back, then I can save her!”

  Dakota felt the anger rising in his blood and he tried to rein his temper back. He knew that Tony was only trying to help and that it would do no good for him to lose it.

  “How are we supposed to get back? They destroyed the other portals and the only ones they didn’t get their hands on have been used.”

  “This must be where I come in handy.”

  All eyes shot to the woman who had just entered the room. It took Tony a moment but he realized who it was and his eyes warmed to her.

  “Been a long time, Carmen.”

  “Too long, Tony.” She smiled and hugged him warmly.

  “I'm so sorry about-”

  “It’s okay Tony.” She patted him lightly on the arm. “I know that you did what you could.”

  “Elizabeth, Dakota, this is Carmen. She is Annabelle’s mother and Anastasia’s grandmother. And I do believe you showed up at the perfect time.” He smiled down at her and she greeted Elizabeth and Dakota.

  “L
et’s get our girl back shall we?” Carmen grinned and set her bag gently down.

  Turn the page for a brief look at The Fighter, the second book in The Prophecy series, coming soon.

  THE FIGHTER

  She wasn’t sure how long she had been in the dark. Hours had blended into days and days into weeks. She couldn’t even remember what it felt like to stand in the sunshine, and what did a breeze feel like as it brushed her hair back?

  The damp of the room had seeped into her bones and the chill had made it so she couldn’t even feel the warmth of her blood. Anastasia wasn’t even sure she was alive anymore. On some level she hoped she wasn’t.

  They had stripped her clothing from her, allowing her only the bra and underwear she had been wearing when they had taken her. They wanted to break her, she knew that much, but her stubbornness pushed through for her.

  Her mouth was dry, her lips cracked, from the lack of water. Her stomach burned with hunger that she knew would never be sated. At least it was a feeling, she told herself. That must have meant she was still alive, but was that a good thing?

  Was her heart aching for Dakota? Did she have a heart any longer? Or was it only an empty cavity in her chest now. She knew that what she had done to Mitch had been horrible, and she wasn’t sure it was anything she could ever recover from. Maybe she was dead, and this was hell. Was she being punished for what she had done?

  The door to her prison opened and she bit back a scream, not willing to show any emotion. They had come for her again just as she had known they would. Was it possible that this was the end?

  They pulled her to her feet, the fingers on their large hands biting into her sensitive skin. She knew they enjoyed causing her pain, so far she had been able to push through it, but one question stood out in her mind as they pulled her down the hallway now. Would she survive it this time?

  Other books by Jessica McCrory

  -Tethered Souls-available in both paperback and e-book through Amazon.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jessica McCrory was born in Ventura, California. After spending her first sixteen years living throughout the state, she and her family relocated near Dallas, Texas. She has always had a love of the written word and is always ready for an adventure behind one of the covers. She spent seven years in the Texas Army National Guard, and after being medically retired, now spends her time as a stay at home mom and a dedicated writer. She still resides in Texas with her husband, two daughters and their dog.