Chapter Forty-Six

Entry:

There's this painting between here and you. The subject's glint steals my attention, and in my mind, I build a character. Like the painted subject has a story it yearns to live- to tell. 

In this painting, the subject stares back. Right through me. I remember the first time I saw that stare- I glanced behind my shoulder, only to see my pooling tears bending reality. 

I looked back at the painting. 

And it was you. 

And I smiled. 

And I whispered- 

See you soon. 

Phoenix 

--

Something was wrong. 

Talon stood up impossibly straighter as he entered the Throne room and counted- there were easily three times the usual number of guards. Straightening his jacket, Talon marched up to his seat and planted himself beside his father. 

"Who are we seeing toda-" Talon asked. 

"What is the point of making us come to all of these if all we do is sit here?" Osprey came ploying through in a furry. Everyone watched in silence as she crashed into her seat with a huff. "I'm okay with work, but can you at least give me a real assignment other than just sitting quietly?" 

The King lifted a hand to silence her. "Diplomacy is just as important as going out there and doing the physical work. Your image is crucial. Besides," the King slid a smirk toward Talon, "you'll want to be here for this one." 

Oh no, no, no. What had happened this time? From a distance, bells rang for three o'clock.

The King stood at the edge of his seat; the Queen boasted her utmost attention. 

Dong. 

Osprey felt it too- offered a shrug to Talon. 

Dong. 

The King gestured for the guards to open the doors. 

Dong. 

A single figure with a gait most familiar walked in. 

Phoenix. 

It was Phoenix who approached the dais. 

She wore all white; white heavy pants and a long-sleeved shirt under a pair of white straps crisscrossing her body. Wait- The red speckling on her chest and face wasn't part of the design. 

From head to toe, all white straps and belts, then red. Red blood speckled Phoeinx´s face, drowned her chest, and dripped to her toes. She gripped a small bag furiously, standing tall with a cruel smile absent of curve. 

"So it's true," the King said. "You're the reason my troops came empty-handed. My son just can't keep quiet when it comes to you, can he?" 

Talon's face burned as he recalled telling Phoenix about the murderer's location and when their soldiers would strike. Had Phoenix taken out all of the thieves on her own? 

"Let me see it," the King ordered. 

Phoenix reached into the bag a balanced the Queen's crown upon the tip of her fingers. The black stone in the center had that unnatural draw, sucking in all the light. The metal crown twisted around Phoenix's pale hands. 

"Guards!" the King shouted. 

Phoenix took the crown and dangled it so the center Stone faced the floor, ready to drop. 

"Everyone stop! Don't drop it," King Malik said. "What do you want?" 

Phoenix remained silent, waiting. 

"Everyone out of the room!¨ the King ordered. The room cleared. 

Silence stretched and bound fiercely between the expectant royal family and their tantalizer, Phoenix. 

Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix. 

"You know its value, what it can do, I presume?" the King asked. ¨You might as well hand it over, so we can keep it safe.¨ 

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head ever so delicately- Phoenix was the first person

Talon had ever seen match his father´s glare. 

"You know, I could shoot you right here and just take it," the King chuckled. "Unfortunately, my son is in love with you, so I can't do that. Am I not a nice father?" 

Talon shot his eyes to Phoenix. What if she didn't respond at all? What if she was mad- what if she- 

"Is that true?" Phoenix asked softly. 

Talon felt his cheeks heat as he nodded at her. 

Phoenix chuckled to herself before directing her attention to the King. "I'll return the Burning Stone to the palace, but I decide who keeps it. Additionally," Phoenix continued, not letting the King interrupt, "my brother will remain in the palace for as long as he desires." 

The King leaned forward to get a better look at Phoenix. "So who are you proposing we give it to, Phoenix?" 

"Roman, Stilts, Serva; last survivor of the Burning, rightful creator and owner of the crown and official record keeper for the royal palace." 

"Who?" Osprey interjected. 

"You are too clever," the King commented over Osprey's remark, "not even Talon or Osprey could figure all that out and they grew up with the man." 

Talon couldn't help but feel offended. 

The King continued, looking up and down at Phoenix, "I suppose it's okay Talon missed this one. It seems he has a good instinct for keeping the right people close, even if he can't figure out exactly why." 

Did his father just praise him? 

"I know," replied Phoenix. 

The King hummed in thought. 

"I will accept your proposition," he said. "We can both rest easy knowing the crown is safe; your brother will live comfortably here." 

Talon jumped out of his seat to hug Phoenix. 

"However," the King sat Talon back down with a nasty stare, "there is still the issue of you.

You are constantly causing trouble for us. You are clearly traumatized from the ball and cannot appear in this room without causing a huge mess for everyone. I will not let my son get involved with you any further." 

"What?" Talon asked, clinging to the arms of his throne. 

"Unless you explain to me this," the King continued. "What happened that night? I have talked with everyone there and read all the reports, but there is no sound explanation that puts all the pieces together." The King raised an accusing brow. "You know, don't you, Phoenix. Explain." 

Talon slid to the edge of his seat and watched her closely. He saw her- he saw the way she shifted her weight onto her right leg nearly completely, like her left leg was hurt. He saw how she talked with her hands, using the crown as a prop to highlight her speech- like she was used to talking to children. Talon even saw the way her right hand disappeared behind her back for an instant to dig into her own skin, to calm her down. 

He saw her eyes die when she recalled Lucas and Daisy's deaths. 

This was why Cole blamed Phoenix for the kids' deaths; the plan to steal the crown was her idea. 

"Are you serious?" the King laughed. 

Talon flinched; the King's tone was so rare Talon didn't recognize it at first. Then, even more amazing than scaling the King's emotional wall, the Queen let out a small chuckle. 

Phoenix made his mother laugh. 

"Far too clever for your own good," the Queen said after a minute recomposing herself. "You not only became the thief yourself, but you also helped my family escape that night- and you hate us. And your own family died. Now you stand here, dangling our most treasured item in taunt. You are beyond life's path." 

Was this crown even worth it all? How fickle humans were, so fixated on one goal that they let their lives fall to shambles in such a spectacular show. That kids were murdered and buried and will be forgotten. 

"What does this crown do, exactly?" Talon asked. 

"It makes you immortal," the Queen said, her eyes never leaving Phoenix. "You use it every couple of weeks and in exchange, you gain a year of youth." 

"And every time it's used, the earth shakes," the King added. 

"And by returning it to Roman," Phoenix finished, "he may remain as record keeper, and we can trust his experience to keep the Burning Stone protected." 

"The thieves left the warehouse almost a week ago with the crown, yet you recently disappeared for only three days," Talon said. "What were you doing?" 

Phoenix's eyes were only on Talon. And his on her. "You sent a whole platoon to take out the thieves and all their men. Plus, that warehouse was guarded so tightly, what chance did I stand to take them all down?" 

Talon's eyes widened in realization, "You had to move the thieves to a less secure location." 

Phoenix's smile grew and she took a step forward toward Talon. "I reached out to Corton's wife in the Lowlands and told her that her husband was in danger. She passed it on and told them specifically who had sent her so they knew I was credible. And why wouldn't they trust me after I tipped them off about the upcoming ambush by your men? All I had to do was split the thieves up and pick them off one by one." 

Talon rose from his chair and stepped toward Phoenix. "Didn't the thieves recognize you after they attacked through the kitchen? One man got away, remember?" 

Another step closer. Phoenix gave a small shake of her head. "My family was never the target. They had no idea who I was or that the King had ordered me to hunt them down. They only wanted the Queen, remember? I was a stranger forgotten amidst the chaos." 

Talon walked down the stairs until he was at the same level as Phoenix. "Why didn't Corton recognize you from the night of the ball? When we were all tied up?" 

Phoenix closed the final distance between them. Talon reached out a hand and placed it on her chin. "Because," she whispered with a brilliant light, "I had never met him before, he had no idea who I was. No reason to remember my face. And I wore a scarf when I stole the crown back." 

Talon looked at her, his beautiful rising Phoenix. He wiped a little blood off her cheek. "You didn't steal that crown neatly, did you?" 

Phoenix let out a sorrowful sigh. "I've learned that playing nice isn't fun." 

She was so much better than Talon could ever hope to be. 

A loud throat cleared. Talon and Phoenix broke apart and faced the family, standing side by side. 

"You are so much cooler than he is," Osprey gawked. 

 "Not the right thing to say right now," King Malik scoffed. 

The Queen smiled a little. "But it's true." 

The King tugged his lips up. "I suppose she's not too bad. Phoenix, give the crown back to Roman. And…" he looked toward Talon, "keep my boy in check." 

Talon's eyes jumped to Phoenix for her response. 

"I once promised Lucas he would get more pancakes, and I couldn't even do that," Phoenix said. "But I'll stay by his side, now and tomorrow." 

That was good enough of a yes for Talon, so he grabbed Phoenix's hand and yanked her out of the Throne Room. Talon didn't slow his sprint until he was in the library, and even then he ran to Phoenix's chair before stopping. She had followed him, much less out of breath than he, with the crown still in her hands. 

"You've always kept your own feelings and thoughts as priority number two, putting your family first," Talon huffed. "From now on, you are to be selfish and share your thoughts with me. I'm pissed that you left without saying anything, but damn you, you made a good entrance." 

The crown dropped onto the cushioned chair; Phoenix fell to the floor. 

"Bird?" Talon crouched beside her. 

Her hands covered her ears, her head was ducked low to the floor. 

"Are you okay?" Talon asked. 

Phoenix looked up. Wiped spit from her mouth and swallowed loudly. Tears rushed from her eyes, paying no heed to her attempts to rub them away. 

"I feel like shit, Talon. I killed those men! Took a gun and fired at will- no- fired eagerly. I said I would never kill, and I killed them. What of Corton's family? The mom trusted me-" 

Talon smashed Phoenix into a hug, 

 "And they're dead," Phoenix sobbed into his shoulder. "Daisy and Lucas can't see that they got the crown back! That they were so brave, and I failed them, but they succeeded…" 

Talon kissed her forehead, lingering for a second. "They were good kids. I'm sure they're proud of you." 

"I'm sorry," Phoenix pulled out of the embrace. "I didn't mean to cry like that, I don't know why I did that, that was a stupid thing to do. I'll be quiet, I swear…" 

Talon sat tall and glared. "You have a right to cry, and I'm asking for the privilege of helping you. In return, you'll also comfort me. We can be there for each other." 

Phoenix shied her head down to the floor. Right— healing wouldn't be instantaneous. But

Talon could be by her side. 

"One last thing," Talon said. "You're feeling again, which is good. It's good to feel. But now you'll hurt a lot more, you're going to feel everything you pushed down." 

 Phoenix fearfully shook her head. "I don't want to... I promise to be quiet. I'm sorry for troubling you- I won't again- I-" 

"I have every intention of making you my Queen," Talon interrupted. 

Phoenix stopped every movement- every fidget, every finger tap, every heavy breath, and every tear. He waited for her to say something, but she merely crossed her arms over the bloody uniform and looked away. Talon stood up, leaving her on the ground. He picked up the Crown and placed it on the floor before taking his seat. Phoenix glanced up at him curiously, then back to the Crown, until resting on Talon once again. 

"Join me?" he asked. 

 Nothing moved. Not a speck of dust in the library, not a loose leaf of a plant or a raindrop pelting the window. 

"I'd be honored if you graced me with your mind," Talon whispered. 

She pushed herself off the ground and stared at his lap. Right. Talon crammed as close to the side of the chair as possible. Phoenix squeezed right behind him so they say next to each other. The space was too tight, their legs were crushing the other's, but Talon nearly giggled like an idiot. 

"Let's practice, a little at a time," Talon said. "How does this make you feel?" 

He took her hand, refusing to let go when she instinctively flinched back, and nodding when she glanced at him. Phoenix didn't say anything as she tentatively put her other hand on top of his. A blush crept up Talon's neck. 

"I'll cause you trouble," Phoenix started. 

"I would hope so," Talon replied. 

"And for everything I share with you, you're required to share something with me," she bargained. 

"I promise." 

A gust of wind hit the window. Talon caught a petal fall off a flower in the pot near the door. And outside in the hall, faint whispers gossiped. 

"No more Lowlands," Phoenix said. 

"What?" Talon asked. 

"When I'm Queen, there'll be no more divided people. That's my top priority." 

"I guess it was about time for me to visit the Lowlands," Talon said. "But since you made a request, so will I. No more sleeping in the library. You are to sleep in my room. Keyword sleep, I won't touch you. You can have my bed, and I'll sleep on the sofa. You need to stop staying up all night with books and other mischiefs." 

Phoenix smiled a little at that last word. 

"Fine, but I have one last request," Phoenix lifted her chin. "I won't do anything unless I get Cole's and Greyson's blessing." 

"What?" Talon let go of Phoenix's hand. The delicate mood had become broken, shattered, and ripped apart. "But—Cole won't even see you, let alone talk to you! Nothing will happen with this last demand. You don't even know what room they're in." 

Phoenix waited patiently. 

"And Greyson, too? He's the one who knocked you out, who couldn't care for you, and left you for Cole. Why him, too?" 

"Because he's important to my brother," she replied. "And I do know what room my brother is in." 

"You saw us during the fight…" Talon recalled. 

She gave a small nod. So that was it? 

Talon wanted to argue, wanted to yell at her for demanding something so unreasonable, but instead, he said, "This upsets me, Wrinkles. It makes me want to yell and cry and punch another hole in the wall." Her ears perked up. "I don't want to take it out on you, but I don't want to keep all my disgusting feelings inside. What should I do?" 

 "I propose this," Phoenix said, "I have until the end of the month to get the blessings, and if I don't, then I'll be with you regardless. Until then, you're to help me catch Cole's attention." 

"Fine. But the new sleeping arrangements tonight," Talon demanded sheepishly. 

Phoenix nodded and Talon released a breath. That's all it was- a breath. So why did it feel so powerful? 

She stood, Talon following. Together they walked to his room in peace. They passed halls and windows. Phoenix only paused at a single portrait before winking and moving on. 

The tower greeted them with a dying fire the maids must have lit after cleaning in the morning. Talon stopped and stared at how Phoenix stood in the center of his room, a small smile on her face as she stared at the fireplace. 

"Go ahead," Talon gestured into the large circular room. 

There was one large bed to the left, a fireplace and sofa to the right, a door in the corner, and three windows on the opposite wall. 

"You should bathe," Talon noted the blood. "You can borrow some of my shirts and shorts." 

Remain calm. No, don't focus on how she tugged at her long sleeves and let her hair down. It was useless- Talon's hands shook with nerves as he handed her a pair of his clothes. 

Phoenix took the clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Even when she was gone, the mere knowledge that Phoenix was safe and beyond the bathroom doors prompted Talon to hum quietly. 

Talon mended the fire, laid blankets on the couch for him to sleep on, placed a cup of water on the nightstand for Phoenix, anything he could think of. 

When she returned, her hair was damp. Talon blushed a little bit at the sight of her in his clothes. Oversized and unstyled, covering every inch of her skin. Beautiful. Talon ran over to her. 

"I know it's early, but feel free to sleep on my bed," Talon offered. They could both use a good rest. 

Instead of heading to the bed, Phoenix walked to the sofa and plopped herself down onto the red cushions. 

"I'm going to use the bathroom and get ready for bed. Feel free to get cozy and grow into the space," Talon said. 

He took just long enough in the bathroom for a quick wash. When he came out, Phoenix was nestling onto the floor by the crackling fire. Wait, what? Then, before Talon could interject, Phoenix laid down in a makeshift bed of blankets on the floor she must have prepared herself. Talon wondered why she hadn't taken the bed. Or the actual couch. 

"Won't you get hot?" Talon asked, peering at her resting body. 

Phoenix rolled over so she faced him and looked up. "I'm okay." 

Her sleeves rode her forearms and her hair was pulled up in a bun; Talon smiled at her messy and comfortable appearance. 

The smile melted into a horrified stare. 

He bent down to the ground and forcibly grasped her arm, pulling both her sleeves up. The entirety of both arms were covered in scars; the newest one was just scabbing over. Some were thin while others were wide, hideously curved lines. They were all faint purple or red, neatly packed markings on her flesh. 

"Phoenix," Talon's voice shook in fear, "what the fuck is this?" 

She slowly opened her eyes and sat up. "My thoughts visualized." 

There wasn't a hint of remorse or shyness in her explanation, and Talon struggled to grasp the scene before him. 

"Do they still hurt? Have you stopped? For how long…" 

Phoenix put a finger up to her mouth and shushed him. Then, she laid back down and fell back asleep. Talon hadn't known, he should have noticed! She always wore sleeves! And Greyson said… 

"You took Greyson's knife!" Talon shouted.

Phoenix's eyes shot open and she bolted up so she was inches away from his face. 

"I was using one from the kitchen, but it got dull." 

Talon's eyes bulged so wide he feared they would fall out. 

"You may not understand this," she continued, "but I like these scars. They helped me get through everything, they helped me not do something worse. They gave me a release. This isn't your fault, I won't do it again, I'm better now, so leave it alone." 

How could Talon never have noticed? How can he help her heal? What should he do? 

A sigh escaped Talon as he backed off, swiping his sweaty hands on his thighs. At least she was okay. He would listen to her, trust her. 

Now and tomorrow, they would have each other.