The First Dawn (Daughter of the Phoenix Book Three)

by Victoria J. Price

  “What, no!” Fia said in the common tongue as she shot to her feet, grabbing Evina and nudging her aside. Shit. She didn’t want the angels to know she could understand them. She hoped Rainn would just put it down to his gesture and think nothing of it. If she was going to act, she’d have to do it soon.

  Rainn’s wings tightened behind him. “We will question each of you one at a time. It is merely standard procedure. Please, sit.” He lifted the stool Fia had knocked over, and with a stern look raised an eyebrow at her.

  Evina placed a hand over hers, her face calm; not a trace of worry flickered across it. But she let no communication pass between them at her touch. Her turquoise eyes were bright and reassuring, and she held her head high as she turned to follow Rainn out of the tent.

  Fia ran through possibilities. Jax could have relayed to Rainn whatever message Evina had delivered to him. Or perhaps Evina had been working with Erebus all along and this was part of some sick plan of his to test them, to see which of her or Lorn were the fire mother. Their escape from the prison had been all too easy. And that would explain why Fia had seen him when they’d evanesced, or at least, she thought she had. But she wanted to believe the good in Evina, and now she was alone with one of these angels, what if they harmed her? What if the angels held them indefinitely, and Ohinyan’s people died?

  Fia made her decision. There was only one way they were going to get out of the camp any time soon. She didn’t wait to consider it any longer, she reached for the dagger in her boot and lunged for Aura.

  Chapter Nine

  Alexander

  T hey’d wasted no time discussing the ‘message’ the Tahjiik had left for Okwata. At least, the scientist had assumed it was from the Tahjiik. Ahrek had found the dagger at the gate on his daily inspection, a task Okwata never let him skip, so he’d told Alexander and the others.

  As for precisely how the Tahjiik could have known about their intentions for the gate, Okwata had no explanation for them. “They have their ways,” he’d merely said.

  Alexander wasn’t sure whether to trust him. Whether opening the gate was merely to serve a hidden purpose of Okwata’s, but they had no way of knowing until they tried, and no other options.

  They’d said their goodbyes to Runa, Malachai and Altair. They were to continue their work on Ohinyan with the Makya and the witches, to prepare for the dying sun; to ready as many as feasible for the possibility of relocation. Alexander hated that he wasn’t staying to help them, but if there was any chance Fia could prevent the sun from dying or rekindle it or whatever the long-forgotten prophecies said of her, they had to find her. He had to find her, or he would never forgive himself.

  He’d had a blacksmith customise a sheath for his swords with storage pockets, one of which held the golden cuff he’d given to Fia and found discarded on the wall above Djira. Had Erebus harmed her? She could defend herself, Alexander knew. But against an ancient darkness?

  “You’re sure we can’t convince you to come with us?” Osara asked Okwata as they made their way through the plains of Ornax.

  Okwata sat atop a strange beast with wrinkly brown skin and enormous feet. It towered above them all, with Okwata leading their group towards the gate. Maab had gathered together a group of Nords as they’d discussed, Osara included, and along with Noor, that was the entirety of their group. Ahrek had accompanied them, but only to join Okwata on the journey back to the scientist’s lab, Alexander presumed.

  “There is much work to be done here,” Okwata said. “And I do not think my presence would help your case if you were to have a run-in with the Tahjiik.” Okwata sat in a seat of his own making, with great saddlebags hanging on either side of the strange beast. One side held his wheelchair, the other contained supplies that he’d prepared for their journey. The Nords had come well prepared, but Okwata told them to take no risks.

  “I think it might be beneficial to have you with us.” Osara shielded her eyes as she peered up at him. The sun hung high in the sky, and after weeks of Ohinyan’s half-light, Alexander was sure the others struggled just as much in the heat as he did. None of them complained; he knew none of them would, even though the Nords favoured the cold.

  They’d walked through the plains for hours, nothing but long grass the colour of butter and the occasional green dragonflies to look at. All the other animals had scattered. Alexander and a few of the Nords that could shift into birds had offered to fly on ahead, but Ahrek had told them there was no need. No creatures were of concern in Ornax, the Asharian had said.

  In the distance, spindly trees jutted up from the horizon, wavering in the haze. “The gate sits just beyond the edge of the forest.” Ahrek raised a hand to the horizon, following Alexander’s gaze.

  “And you’re confident I’ll be able to open it?” Alexander asked, looking up at Okwata.

  “We will have to wait and see.” Okwata smiled and cast his attention back to the forest in the distance.

  Alexander rubbed his fingers together, testing the strength of the hum against his fingertips. So little time had passed since the Iders had returned the angels’ magic to him, he had so much to learn still. Too many times he’d burnt himself out trying to figure out how far he could reach.

  Noor stepped up beside him as he worked his way through his thoughts. “Part of embracing your power is learning how to release it in controlled amounts. A build-up of so much energy makes us restless.”

  Alexander looked up at the witch. She stood a head taller than him, her expression calm as she stared back. Noor rarely gave much away. She was an excellent spy and an even fiercer friend, and for a moment Alexander was reminded of Jo, Fia’s friend back on Earth. He wondered how she and Halvar were doing after the collapse of the Eternal Dusk. They’ll be fine. They have each other. “It’s not something I would choose to do again, I can assure you. But if it gets the gate open, it will have been worth it.”

  Noor’s gaze drifted to Osara up ahead as she spoke with Maab and the other Nords. “It will. We’ll make sure of it. Nothing has defeated you yet, leader of angels.” She looked back at him with a smirk. “This is the most time I’ve spent with others in a while. You’ll have to forgive me if in the days ahead I don’t… make merry around the campfire and share stories of my past.”

  Alexander snorted. “Make merry? The Lady Noor?” She smirked at him again. “I understand. Sometimes we need the quiet. We all do. Unless you’d prefer a smaller gathering,” he said with a quiet laugh, watching the way Osara waved back at the witch.

  Noor hummed as she waved to Osara in reply. “My coven would not approve.”

  “From what I understand, that is yet to stop you.”

  Noor frowned. “I’m not sure the coven is what it once was. Kharsee is a fine leader, but I’m uncertain what lies ahead for me.”

  Alexander knew the lengths Noor had gone to, to be reaccepted into her coven. He knew her words did not come lightly. “Another coven?”

  “I’m not sure. Something new, perhaps.”

  “Are you talking about settling down, Noor?” Alexander asked with a smile, gesturing to Osara ahead of them.

  The witch shot him a glare. “My union with Osara is purely for pleasure. There is no love there.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  “Hush, angel. You cannot offend me. Our hearts are not so easily taken, are they?” She smiled back.

  Alexander frowned. It was true. He’d had relationships before Fia. But none of the female angels were like her, not just because she was human, but because of her kindness and her strength and her empathy and… all the things that made him love her.

  “Fia is strong. And intelligent. And a quick thinker. We will find her, Alexander. There are very few people I would cross worlds for.” Noor must have read his expression. The witch was intuitive, regardless of what magic she possessed.

  Alexander didn’t answer. He knew Noor didn’t need one anyway. He thought about her position among the witches, and where she
might go next. She was unlikely to stay in one place for long. Something about her previous exile from her coven seemed to haunt her, and Alexander knew better than to press her on the matter. But still, she wasn’t much older than he was, and the more time he spent with her the more he could see that something hung over the witch like a dark cloud.

  The trees were much more visible now; they’d almost reached the place where the grasses touched the edge of the forest. The outer trees were bare and spindly, but beyond, the canopy was thick and the forest dark. How Okwata’s creature was going to fit, Alexander didn’t know.

  “There is a clear path to the gate,” Okwata said, as if he’d read Alexander’s thoughts. The scientist gestured to one side of their group, and Alexander followed his gaze to see an opening in the trees. “It is not much farther.”

  Time was not on their side. He had to believe that they would find her. That they would make it back to Ohinyan in time.

  The Nords entered the forest first. It was cooler the moment they stepped beneath the canopy, but now and then sunlight broke through and cast flickering shadows at their feet. The long grass gave way to dry moss that crunched underfoot. Noor bent down and scooped up a piece of the pale blue plant, examining it in her palm and giving it a sniff. “This would make an excellent poultice when wet.”

  “Your observation is correct, Lady Noor,” Okwata said as Noor shoved a handful into a leather pouch.

  The Nords had fallen quiet, and only the huff of Okwata’s creature broke the silence. It had great tusks that spiralled over themselves and a tubular nose that seemed to have a mind of its own, but it strode onwards as if it was more than comfortable to carry Okwata and his paraphernalia upon its back.

  Alexander passed a tight cluster of tree trunks and took in what had caused the Nords’ silence—they’d reached the gate.

  It was built of dark stone, an archway that reached up almost as tall as Okwata’s creature, twice the height of Noor. Vines wrapped their way around the stone and carved into the apex of the arch was a symbol Alexander had never seen before.

  “How many worlds does it lead to?” Noor asked. She’d stepped up onto the rock plinth the gate sat on but didn’t reach out to touch the stone as she examined it.

  “Last I knew, each gate could only allow passage to and from one world. The Tahjiik removed the power source from this one as part of my exile,” Okwata said. He urged his creature towards the gate and it walked around it so that he’d swung around to face them all. “Here.” He unclipped bags of supplies from the creature’s flank and tossed them towards the Nords.

  Alexander and Noor exchanged a look. Alexander hadn’t pressed Okwata on the details of his exile. They needed the scientist to reach Fia, and he’d willingly helped with creating the devices to distribute across Ohinyan. Whether Okwata was hiding something from them or not, this was their best chance at reaching Fia—their only chance—even if Okwata wasn’t entirely trustworthy.

  Okwata reached a hand out from his seat on the creature and leaned towards the gate. The Nords murmured among themselves as the scientist closed his eyes and muttered a few words in a language unknown to Alexander and the others. His magic throbbed in his veins and rushed in his ears as if it knew he was ready to let it out. The only sounds were Okwata’s mutterings and the breeze rustling through the canopy.

  “Alexander, step up to the gate. Do not let go until it’s open.” Okwata inclined his head to the plinth. “The rest of you, stay where you are for the moment.”

  Ahrek waited beside the creature, his hands behind his back as he watched. Alexander gave the group a quick once over: Noor, Maab and Osara stood closest to him, and beyond them, the group of Nords, as if they were too nervous to step closer. Perhaps with good reason. They would find out soon enough.

  He approached the gate with tentative footsteps, the rock plinth cold against his bare feet. Something hummed underfoot, as if it could feel his magic with each step. You’ll find her. Alexander stood on the opposite side of the arch to Okwata and reached out a hand to the dark stone. It was cold like the plinth, but the hum had intensified to a buzzing beneath his touch.

  Okwata nodded as if he could sense the gate responding. “Don’t let go until everyone is through.”

  Alexander placed both hands on the stone and let go of his magic. It rushed through him, streaming from his fingertips with a force that shook the gate and sent dust and loose pieces of rock cascading from the apex of the arch. His head pounded with the force of the energy streaming through him, and he gripped the rock harder to keep himself upright.

  Nothing happened.

  “You need to let go of all of it,” Okwata called out. Whether it was over the thundering roar in Alexander’s head, or his magic and the gate were making the sound, he couldn’t tell; he couldn’t even see straight as the magic rushed through him.

  He focused on letting it all out, letting it pour from him like he was a tipping cup. The centre of the arch began to spark and crackle but still the gate made no sign of opening. “Noor,” Alexander spat through gritted teeth. “It’s not enough.” The witch had magic. He’d seen it a few times—a different kind of magic perhaps, but it was there, and it could help. Okwata, too. His body shook with the force of his magic. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold his position, or how far away he was from the bottom of his power.

  Noor was already at the other side of the arch, eyes closed and hands pressed flat against the stone. He felt her presence through the stone, felt the surge as her hands made contact and it urged him to push harder, to reach for whatever energy he had left.

  The centre of the arch sparked again—golden sparks appeared through a swirl of light as Noor threw her head back and cried out in pain. “Okwata. Your assistance,” she hissed.

  Alexander couldn’t turn to look anymore. His whole body shook and sweat coated his arms and hands. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.

  “Intet. Ahn,” he heard Okwata call out. Alexander forced himself to look up, to watch as the creature scooped Okwata off its back with its strange nose and deposited him on the plinth beside Noor and the gate. Okwata reached out, and the moment his hand made contact with the stone, the centre of the arch shimmered and settled.

  “Go, now!” he called out to Maab and the other Nords.

  Alexander felt certain his magic would fail. Noor’s cry was piercing, even through the rushing roar of the gate. “Go!” he shouted to her as the last of the Nords ran through. The witch tumbled forwards into the shimmering mist and disappeared. Alexander caught Okwata’s gaze, but he could manage no words; he could barely manage to stand. The scientist nodded, and Alexander let himself fall into the gate, the thought that it could close on him crossing his mind just as he tumbled into the shimmering nothing.

  Chapter Ten

  Lorn

  L orn had watched Fia dive for the angel with no warning. No sound escaped the girl as she tackled Aura to the ground. Her dagger was already at the angel’s throat by the time Lorn had registered what was happening. Impressive. She had some fight in her, after all.

  Their movements were fast—a tangle of limbs and wings as Aura called the water from the jug to her, and icy shards sizzled and melted as they hit Fia’s back. Interesting, on both counts.

  Fia’s hand curled into a fist and those blue flames engulfed it, and finally, the angel stilled beneath her. “I’ll burn right through your shield,” she said through gritted teeth as she pressed her dagger against the angel’s skin and the scar that stretched from her neck to her ear.

  “You cannot,” Aura breathed. But her expression wasn’t convincing.

  “Burn her, she’s the only thing standing in our way,” Lorn spat, her hands already in flames.

  “Wait,” Fia barked. “She also might be our only way out of here.” She gestured to her blue flame hovering over the angel’s wing. “I can feel your shield. I can feel every crack and gap in it too. Do you want to test my theory?”

&n
bsp; She could feel it. Lorn could feel nothing of the angel’s shield, and the thought more than enraged her. What was it about this girl? You injured Erebus. You are the fire mother. She is nothing.

  Aura was silent for a moment. “Get off of me.”

  Lorn tutted as Fia pushed herself off the angel. “You didn’t even draw blood,” she said to Fia as the girl took her seat by the table and gestured for the angel to do the same.

  Fia tucked her dagger back in her boot as she said, “We’re not from here. We don’t even know where here is. We’re from a world called Ohinyan, and we urgently need to return.”

  Had she given up Earth for Ohinyan then? Lorn wasn’t entirely surprised. What she’d seen of Earth was vile.

  Aura rubbed a hand to her neck as she sat down, and Lorn brushed aside her disappointment that she hadn’t been the one to knock the angel off her feet. “Ohinyan,” the angel repeated slowly, as if she were testing the word. “Our stories say we come from a world called Ohinyan.”

  That explained their use of the common tongue. Lorn removed her boot from the table and leaned in closer, ignoring Fia’s burning gaze. “You have knowledge of other worlds?”

  “There is a gate,” the angel said, brushing dirt from her wings. Wings that Lorn had to admit, were rather fascinating. In a different setting, she’d have enjoyed ruffling those feathers, discovering the angel’s line between pleasure and pain. Anyone could see she was beautiful, no matter how bland she’d tried to make herself amongst her fellow soldiers.

  Aura looked up and caught her gaze for a moment. “It is said to lead to another world, but angels are not permitted to use it.” Lorn shook away the thoughts that were leading her elsewhere.

  Fia bristled beside her but said nothing, waiting for the angel to continue. Lorn was not as patient. And she needed to know where their allegiance lay before she made up her mind which of them she was going to kill first. Probably the tall one who had carried her here. “Tell me about this king of yours.”