Chapter Forty-three

Phoenix watched those dark eyes burn, those Implants flickering and that wince on Belfire's face and she felt that burning in the pit of her stomach. "Stop it!" she gasped, racing for them, pushing at Master Gabriel's chest and pulling at those fingers. "Stop it," she shook her head.

"Stay out of this, Phoenix," Master Gabriel warned.

"Why?" Belfire asked. "Because you don't like the look on her face? Or is it because you don't like the way it makes you feel?"

She saw those Implants flickering even faster, those fingers squeezing even tighter, so she pushed at him again, but then she felt that hand that had once been so gentle gripping her arm, impossibly strong just like Master Sextus had been.

"Hurt her and you know what happens, Gabriel!" Belfire fought.

"Enough!" Master Gabriel said. "I've had enough of the both of you. Get out, get out and don't come back. You're both-,"

"Go on," Belfire snapped. "Go on, Gabriel, run away again. How many rules did I break this time, hmm? Tell me, what's it going to cost?" Belfire asked, and Master glared at Belfire, those Implants flickering so furiously. "It isn't right," Belfire said. "This isn't trust, this isn't how any of this is supposed to be like. You can't keep playing house, you have to get real at some point and you have to figure out what you want."

Suddenly she saw it, saw what Belfire was trying to do and what he was pushing for and her mouth went dry.

"Stop it..." Phoenix said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Stop it, Belfire, we're both Favourites. He doesn't have to choose," she said, but Belfire started laughing, a smile breaking out on his lips as he shook his head.

"You two are as bad as each other," he said, and that scowl left the Master's face as he let Belfire go and took a step back, but those Implants still flickered so furiously, faster than she'd seen them flicker before.

Belfire stood up, slowly at first, and then he turned, leaning against the table and staring at the Master. "Don't-," he started.

"Enough," Master Gabriel cut in. "...Enough, you went too far, Belfire," he said, and Belfire watched him a moment, his eyes never blinking, and then he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "But I'm right and you know it. We both would've betrayed you already if that was what we were going to do."

"Enough..." Master Gabriel sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose with his fingers as Belfire rubbed at his wrist and shook his head.

"How do you keep beating me?" Belfire asked, and Phoenix stared at him, her eyes wide and bright, a chill tearing through her stomach.

Master Gabriel sighed. "You're the one who keeps picking fights you can't win."

"You said-," she started.

"Belfire's definition of hurting is different to yours, Phe," Master Gabriel said, and then he looked up, his eyes narrowing into slits, those Implants flickering furiously. "And so's his definition of lying," he added, and then he went to his desk, pulling out his chair and stretching the muscles in his neck, but Belfire smiled, a small smile, his eyes never leaving the back of Master Gabriel's head until he turned back to her and jerked his head towards the balcony.

That burning grew so strong, her skin so cold when she stepped out, her face so tight and only growing tighter as she glared at him. "You can't-!" she started. "You can't provoke him like that," she shook her head, and he turned to her, resting his elbows on the stone railing, his eyes unblinking as he studied her, but then he turned away and sighed.

"Why not?" Belfire asked, and that burning grew so strong her mouth went dry, her hands clenching into fists.

"Do you want to end up in the Fights?"

"He hasn't gotten rid of me yet, Phe."

"He will if you keep it up."

"You don't know that," he said, and she stared at him, that burning then turned to ice, her heart hammering in her chest.

"You're going to get yourself killed," she said, and he looked at her again, his eyes bright and a soft smile on his lips.

"Maybe..." he said. "Maybe not, but right now I like my chances," he shrugged, and her eyes went so wide, her breath hitching in her chest, but he laughed, a laugh that was soft, a laugh that was warm, and then he rested his head on her shoulder. "Relax, Phe..." he sighed. "You have to start trusting him too."

"I do trust him."

"That's not what I mean," he said. "Look at what he does, not what he says. I'm still here and so are you."

It was a few days later that he called for them again and when he did, he was leaning against his desk, his arms folded across his chest, his head tilting to the side, the light in his eyes so cold and sharp, his Implants flickering so quickly, but then he sighed, that light in his eyes going softer as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I have a Fight scheduled for next week," he said. "Astor is going to be there, that's why I wanted to warn you before we go."

Phoenix closed her eyes, already feeling her heart begin to ache and her face scrunch up in a wince, but then she felt that thumb trail across her cheek and lift her chin. The way he looked at her then was how he'd looked at her that night she'd touched his computer, his Implants flickering like starlight, those eyes so dark but warm. He stared at her a moment, watching her closely, waiting, and then she nodded and he turned, those eyes then fixed on Belfire, his face to blank and slack when he said, "And it's to the death."

"What?" Belfire snapped. "You agreed to that?"

"Yes."

Belfire's chest was heaving, his hands clenched into fists, his face so stiff and his shoulders rising. "Why?"

"I need to be there," Master Gabriel answered.

"So change the terms."

"The terms are set, there's no changing them now," Master Gabriel said, but Belfire shook his head, the light in his eyes somehow so dim, somehow shining so bright.

"Change the terms or drop out."

"I need to be there," Master Gabriel said, and then he looked at her. "We need to be there, it's Astor's cousin."

Her eyes went so wide then, her hand clutching at her chest, her forehead lining in a crease. "You think she's there?" she whispered, and she watched Belfire's shoulders drop.

"I don't know, but there'll be a lot of Masters there, either way it'll be useful."

"I-," she started, but that was all she could get out before she was shaking her head.

"Who are you going to use?" Belfire asked.

"It's between Lyca and Boris, I haven't decided yet."

"You can't-!" Belfire gasped. "You can't, it's not right, they shouldn't have to die just so you can-,"

"Enough," Master Gabriel cut in. "I'm not risking my best Fighters for nothing, Belfire."

"Please," Phoenix said, her eyes so wide, her heart so heavy when she turned to Belfire. "She could be there, I have to know, I have to try," she shook her head, but she hadn't expected his eyes to go so dark, the corners of his nose twitching like he was fighting back a scowl.

"You want to risk their lives just to try-?"

"She's my family," Phoenix cut in. "She's my responsibility, I have to."

"What about them? They have families too, Phoenix," Belfire shook his head. "Change the terms or drop out."

"That's not how this works," Master Gabriel said, his eyes narrowing into slits. "I'm not telling you because there's something to discuss, I'm telling you so you can get ready. I need to be there," he said. "Everyone has their job to do and I need you to do yours."

"Fighting to death is not a job," Belfire said.

"A job is a job, you don't have to like it," Master Gabriel said, those Implants flickering furiously. "It's not going to change either, Belfire, not unless you want me to go against the entire City just to make you feel better. This is it, it's between a lead on Iris or staying home safe and I know which one to choose."

Phoenix closed her eyes, knowing he was right, a part of her so heavy for knowing that Belfire didn't understand, so she shook her head, wanting to scream, wanting to cry, wanting Belfire to just go away, but then she heard Master Gabriel sigh, his eyes fixed on Belfire's face, his Implants flickering furiously.

"Blame whoever you want, but this is my decision," he said. "We're not equals, Belfire, no matter what you think," he shook his head then, his eyes flicking to Phoenix, the light in them going softer. "There's-," he started, but then he looked away and cleared his throat. "He's the one who buys younger Woodlanders," he said. "There's a chance he has her, not a big one, but a chance. I... Don't get your hopes up, Phe, just focus on what you need to do. Leave the rest to me."

Belfire walked away, grabbing a pitcher from the table and pouring himself a drink. "How many?" he asked. "Is it just Astor and his cousin?"

"Master Astor," Master Gabriel corrected. "And it's a Gathering, there'll be a lot of people there… It's a tournament, whoever fights will have to make it through and win the whole thing."

Phoenix closed her eyes again, her forehead lining in a crease, her heart already so heavy, but she had to do it, she had to, Iris was her family, who was going to protect her if not her?