Chapter Thirteen

Entry:

That bird is weak. I can see it in the window. It came up to me and hit the glass, her wing bending as she cried for help. I bet she hates the rage that consumes her and despises how she can't control her anxiety. If you don't like it, get rid of it. You see, I enjoy the pain. I deserve it for these wicked thoughts. 

She has the audacity to cry and hate and whine and complain and plead to me… how pathetic. I hate her. Her and her baggage. I should pity her and feel bad for all she has gone through. But you know what? I don't give a shit. That bird is annoying and I owe her nothing. Who knew I had such hate in me? 

Poor, little, bird.

Phoenix

--

Glass shattered with a crash! Phoenix's body jumped awake- vision blurry- objects shaking-

No, not her vision, the earth. The earth was shaking. 

The wardrobe crashed and clothes pooled out like blood. Phoenix's whole body chattered, victim to the roaring environment, rendered helpless against nature. Only the full moon in the early sky gave off light into her bedroom, displaying the swinging light fixture and cracking rose covered walls. 

A scream slicing through the night- 

"Lucas!" Phoenix yelled.

The second her feet touched the floor she fell onto her hands and knees. A book fell off the nightstand, tumbling down to the floor next to Phoenix. She covered her head on instinct, but she heard it all the same: Lucas' second cry for help. 

Lucas was hurt, he needed help, he was scared, he-

Get up.

"Bird!"

Phoenix balled her fists and rose to her feet. One step to Lucas. Another. 

Again, she fell. 

On all fours Phoenix crawled to Lucas' room, barely flinching when a loose piece of ceiling fell onto her head. 

A pause. 

The earth paused for a breath, a second more. Then, stillness. Phoenix leaped forward and threw open the doors connecting her room to Lucas'. Cole had the same instincts and was already moving toward Lucas' bed. 

"You get Daisy," Phoenix redirected. 

Cole ran to Daisy's connected room. Phoenix saw Lucas' small figure trapped underneath the bed. He laid on his stomach, hands over his ears, as his whole body trembled more violently than the earth moments ago. Phoenix dropped to her knees, panicking.

"Bird?" Lucas asked through tears.

"I'm right here. Would you come out from under the bed? The earthquake is over," she soothed, willing her voice calm. He crawled out from the bed, and she utterly collapsed into a tight hug when he had no injuries. 

"You were awfully smart to go under your bed," Phoenix reassured him, stroking his soft hair. She pulled back from the hug and wiped the tears from his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright now," his voice squeaked. "But that was really scary, Bird."

"Yes, it was. But you were brave and did a good job."

"But I cried," Lucas pouted.

"It's okay to cry, it means you're human."

"But you didn't cry. Does that mean you're not a person?" 

Phoenix let out a relieved chuckle. "No. It means that I was worried sick about you and your siblings. Why don't we go check on them?"

She scooped Lucas up in her arms and carried him to Daisy's room, grateful Cole left the connecting doors open. Phoenix nearly dropped Lucas in horror upon seeing Daisy's bloody arm. A whoosh of cold air cascaded on her like a heavy wave, and when she looked at Cole for answers, he offered nothing but a rake through his hair.

"It's just a small cut," Daisy assured, seeing Phoenix's obvious distress. Phoenix looked at Daisy's face and then back to the thumb-sized cut on her arm. 

"Stop looking at me like that," Daisy demanded while rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "It's not like I lost my arm or anything." 

It took Phoenix a second to relax and understand what she said. If Daisy could be sassy, then she was okay. 

"Right," Phoenix mumbled while putting Lucas down.

Take a moment to breathe, regain control, everything was okay. Until when?

"Thank you. Cole," Phoenix said, "please tell me you're not hurt."

"I'm fine," he replied, seemingly composed. Then, unable to keep his facade of calm and showing what he truly felt, Cole yelled and punched his thigh. "What was that shit?"

"In front of the kids?" Daisy teased, trying to lighten the mood, somehow the only one with all senses intact. 

Daisy thought clearly under pressure.

"An earthquake?" Phoenix suggested.

"If so, then there'll be aftershocks," Cole warned. 

At that idea Lucas whimpered again, "You mean the scary man's going to make the earth shake again?" 

Daisy looked at Cole who glanced at Phoenix while she stared at Daisy. They all said at the same time to Lucas:

"What scary man?" 

At the second mention of this mystery man Lucas burst into tears again, his blue eyes popping with color. Cole moved in, picked up Lucas, sat on Daisy's bed, and gently set Lucas on his lap. 

"It's okay," Cole soothed the troubled child, wrapping his arms around his small shoulders. "No one is hurt. The earth just wanted to dance for a little while. Who is this scary man?"

They all paused in anticipation as Lucas sniffled up the last of his tears. "The scary man  the maids were talking about. They were trying to dress me bu..but-t I was running around the room want-wanted to play and one of them said that if I didn't sit still then the scary man would get me." 

Phoenix would have to scold the maids for scaring Lucas. "They were only saying that to bully you. There is no scary man."

"Ye..yes there is! I woke up to him coming into my room right before the shaking. I asked him to go away bu-but…" 

"But what, Lucas?" Phoenix pressed, anxiety making her breath shallow. Cole put a hand up to calm her down. 

"He screamed when he saw me, and then disappeared!" With that, Lucas' shoulders collapsed as he broke down crying again. 

Still confused Phoenix opened her mouth to ask more questions, but before she could, Cole shook his head no. It seemed Lucas scared the man as much as this mystery man scared Lucas. 

"You are very brave for telling us that, Lucas," Cole said. "How about you come to my room to sleep through the rest of the night?"

Lucas' eyes widened and he forgot why he was crying.

"Really?"

"Only for tonight," Cole reminded him. "We can even lock the door so you know I won't sneak out." 

Lucas let out a yelp of excitement and stood, dragging Cole by the hand, his fingers slipping down to Cole's wrist, determined to make it to Cole's room before he changed his mind about the sleeping arrangements. Phoenix looked at Daisy. Sturdy, unwavering, and strong. Then, her eyes slid down to Daisy's arm. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I'm just fine, Bird. You need to stop worrying so much."

"I will do no such thing." After a long pause, Phoenix realized that the conversation from dinner still bugged her. Even if Greyson insisted that the family was making connections where there wasn't any to be made, Phoenix asked, "What do you think about the conversation I overheard, and this mystery man Lucas is talking about?"

"All I know is that it's worth investigating. I've come up with a couple of theories that might help your mission," Daisy offered. 

"Shoot."

"Maybe it's not an assassination but someone who wants to steal the stone, assuming that the stone is a gem."

Phoenix's hand rested under her chin as she considered, "But why the most recognizable gem in the world? It would be easier to just pick off little things and sell them. You could go entirely unnoticed."

"Don't interrupt me until I've finished my ideas."

Phoenix gave a nod of understanding, curious as to what Daisy's beautiful mind had come up with. 

"Another theory is that the stone's from the wreckage after the Burning and people want it back as a memorial to remember the old world, although I doubt people have ties to any Burning antiques. That was generations ago." 

Phoenix could practically see Daisy's brain turning gears, coming up with ideas that would help them figure this all out. Her hands twirled her hair as she spewed out ideas, and her eyes glanced about the room. 

"Or maybe the stone is some kind of key to a safe or something with a lot more money in it," Daisy proposed. "Perhaps it's a unique shape, or proof of the Queen's identification. Some skeleton key?" 

"That could make sense," Phoenix said. 

"Oh! Perhaps there is no assassination, the King just wanted to make a story! But that doesn't explain the overheard conversation or the scary man…"

Phoenix sighed, realizing she was probably asking too much of her siblings again. 

"Daisy, you're rambling. Thank you so much for helping me but you need some rest after what happened tonight. How about we discuss it more tomorrow after I see some court files. And make sure to lock your bedroom door tonight, I don't want anyone sneaking into your room."

"I got it," Daisy said through a yawn. 

Daisy shoulders were weighed down by exhaustion. She walked- feet dragging- back to her bed for sleep. Phoenix's sleeping beauty, Daisy was something else. Phoenix waited until she heard Daisy's lock click before returning to her own bed.

All of Daisy's ideas seemed possible, and many involved the idea that Phoenix was looking for a royal family secret, which didn't directly tell her who was behind an assassination. Furthermore, how could a key or gem trigger an earthquake? Or were the two things wholly unrelated? Could the gem be the Queen's crown, and that's why she was being targeted? 

Phoenix had to learn more about what just happened. 

Instead of going to bed she turned and meandered out of her room. Portraits were skewed as she made her way down the hall, eyes slanted. 

As she continued walking, the portraits straightened up, as though someone came through and fixed them, or they never fell at all. She made her way to the Great Hall, where two guards were posted by the bottom of the stairs. 

"Excuse me?" Phoenix asked.

They both turned and glared down at her.

"Are earthquakes like that common?"

"What earth-" one guard started.

"I promise ma'am, everything is under control. Please return to your quarters." This second guard took a physical step in front of the other guard.

Something ticked her off about that sentence. He refused to answer a simple question, even going so far as to shut up the other guard.

"I will, but first, I'd like to know who fixed the portraits in the hall?"

"Ma'am, I've been here all night, I assure you that nothing is wrong with the portraits."

Phoenix squinted her eyes. "I meant who straightened them after the earthquake?"

"We had a guard go around and fix them. Please, return to your quarters, before we take action."

"A guard went through and fixed only some of the portraits? And I just walked through the hall, I didn't see anyone."

The guard took a step toward her, prompting Phoenix to take a step back.

"It's time for you to go back to bed. You are distracting active royal guard members. Leave now."

Phoenix slowly nodded her head and turned back the way she came. They were lying. No, only that one guard was lying. Only that one guard seemed to know what was going on and knew to lie about it. The Queen was playing a delicate game- a very small circle knew there was something worth covering up for. 

Phoenix needed to know- what was the Queen's secret, and why did an assassin need to kill her for it?