The Young and Gifted

44. nine lives

Landon remained unconscious for the entire week. Some of the gang came in to check up on him and Kaleb found himself touching the stone-hard wings. MG and Raf were in the room as well and Hope was on the other side of the bed, monitoring him. 

"I think he's a gargoyle," Kaleb muttered, fingers tracing the hard ridges of cobble wings. 

"Hope already said," MG kicked the vampire's shins. "He's a Pheonix."

"So he's okay, right?" Raf said as he stared at his best friend's sleeping figure. "He's alive."

Hope nodded and grabbed Landon's hand. "Yeah. Dorian explained that he took a long time to revive because it was his first time dying. But the next time, it'll be much quicker." 

"I can't believe we have a tribrid and a Phoenix in our school," Kaleb gushed, shaking his head. Then his gaze fell to where Hope's other hand was brushing the stone wings. "Whoa, whoa, how are you doing that?" To Hope's touch, his wings were flexible. But to Kaleb's touch, it was rock hard.

"I'm probably closer to Landon than you are," Hope shrugged. His supernatural instincts trust me. 

Raf itched to touch Landon's wings himself but he was scared that it would be hard. After what happened...he wasn't sure his best friend would ever feel safe around him. 

"I'm just stunned at the fact that I make him hard and Hope makes him soft," Kaleb muttered. 

"Wings, right? We're talking about the wings," MG chuckled awkwardly. 

Kaleb shrugged, holding his hands up. "Man, I don't know. I'm just telling you that's reversed psychology to me."

Finally, Landon stirred awake with a deep sigh. His first gaze landed on Hope's and he smiled, "Hey you."

"Hey yourself," she said and leaned to kiss his cheek. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not in the moment," Landon answered and then his eyes travelled to the three other boys in the room with shock. "Oh hey guys, I didn't see you there."

Kaleb smacked Landon's shoulder. "Welcome back dude, we missed you. Like for real, I didn't know I missed your stupid random facts about the solar planets."

Landon winced at the slap and chuckled nervously, "R-right. Thank you."

Kaleb nodded and turned to MG. "Alright, MG and I gotta get going. See you soon."

MG waved as they reach the door, "Get better, Landon." And then they were gone. 

Landon turned to Raf who had his head hung low. "Hey, Raf."

"Wassup, Landon," he tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. "I am so, so sorry about what happened. I should have paid more attention to the strength I was using--"

"No, no. If anything it was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you when you were that angry. Seriously, don't worry about it," Landon assured, shaking his hands. 

"For real? We're good?"

"Of course, you're my brother," Landon chuckled and smiled genuinely at him. 

Raf nodded with satisfaction and turned towards the door. "Okay, I'll let you two catch up."

"Bye," Landon farewelled and watched as he left the room. Finally, he turned back to Hope and jumped back with shock when he spotted the massive limbs at his back. "Whoa, what the hell are those?"

"It's what you were turning into last night," Hope explained. "We figured out that you're a Phoenix."

"A Phoenix? L-like as in the creature that can come back to life repeatedly?" He said in awe, examining the stone wings. "I'm practically a cat with nine lives now."

She laughed, shaking her head. Hope's fingers continued to caress his wings and stopped when the rock began to crumble. "I think this is the final phase." Soon, she was pushing away the small pebbles to reveal his black wings.

*

More confusion seeded within the group of students and Dorian did as much to answer their questions. Eventually, they were shooed away to return to classes until further notice. He now sat in Ric's office, Emma, Clarke and Caroline in the room as well. "Landon is a Pheonix that just broke his mortal shell."

"Do you think that that is why the Legendarium is after him?" Emma offered.

Dorian nodded, pulling out his notebook book. "That is my theory. Legend says that the Phoenix used to glide through the sky like a soaring ball of fire. Until it was struck down by an entity of darkness and its fire was extinguished. I think this is why Landon's wings are black, to insinuate the burning."

"Do you think the Pheonix could be considered a monster then?" Caroline asked. "That would explain even more why the Legendarium wants Landon back so badly. Maybe Landon is a descent of the Pheonix that escaped and the book wants its inmate back. The fact that it's a very old and ancient creature must be important, right?"

"That would make absolute sense," Clarke nodded.

"And there is one new thing I discovered about the Legendarium during the past hours," Dorian said, shutting his book. "But you're not going to like it."

"Tell us," Emma prompted.

"The Legendarium is an old prehistoric artifact formed from the very earliest of the Gemini bloodline," he revealed and Ric adjusted himself uncomfortably in his seat. The mood shifted to an even darker atmosphere. "And because of its immense power, the Gemini ancestors were greedy and wanted to make sure that nobody touched it. Literally. Only a Gemini descent or witch can wield the book."

Ric narrowed his eyes. "And the Legendarium needs a master to be able to function."

"Which means that there is a Gemini witch out there controlling the book to attack Landon," Caroline concluded.

"But that doesn't make sense," Emma pointed out. "Kai killed every single member in the Gemini coven."

"Except one," Ric interlaced his fingers, planting his hands on top of his desk. "When the girls were young, Jo's father Joshua, kidnapped the girls. After Kai killed everyone to release Jo and the girls, Jo told me one person escaped. Olivia Parker." 

"That would explain the riddle the Necromancer prophesied. Beware of those you call sister, beware of those you call family," Emma recited. "Covens often refer to themselves as family."

Clarke watched as Caroline frantically paced around the room. "What could she possibly want with Landon?"

"Beats me," Dorian shrugged.

*

Lizzie, Kaura and Josie were eavesdropping on the adult meeting. They pulled back when the name of their last relative was uttered. "So our aunt is plotting against us?" Josie muttered.

"She sounds like a bitch," Lizzie scoffed.

Kaura snorted and crossed her arms. "I wonder who she passed it to." She ran a hand through her hair and declared, "We have to go to the library to figure out more about this Gemini bloodline of ours."

"We're not allowed to look into our bloodlines this year," Josie pointed out.

"Oh Josie," Kaura pouted. "You really have to stop following the rules."

~

"Some people just want to watch the world burn."

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