Phoenix's Lies

A Trial Of Spades And Angels

River

Nix is silent the whole way down to the docks. Eyes on the passing wildlife outside. "Hey, are you ok?" Secretly I worry that something that just happened had spooked him before I caught a glimpse of his reflection. The smile, the hopeful eyes, "You ok?"

He shakes his head once, as if to clear it and offers a smile. "I'm ok yeah, just a little surprised at whatever the hell just happened." He looks as he says but I just offer a smile and take a hand off the wheel to take his nearest to me. "Hey, don't go doing that, you'll crash or some shit."

I smile wider, "Still no trust in your partner mi corazón?" I chuckle as he shakes his head, rolling his eyes as my words sink in. "Hey, don't worry, I've never crashed voluntarily... well in years anyway." he looks a little shocked at that but I can still see the simmering joy in his eyes when they meet mine. That other expression too, the one I, unusually, can't read. "Hey, are you sure you're ok?"

This time all Nix does is smile. Smile and look back out the window, lacing his fingers through mine. I'm tempted to ask again why he's so quiet but I know I won't get an answer after three times of asking. Instead, we just drive quietly, waiting both for something different. Driving in silence save for whatever song is playing low in the background. He says very little if anything at all until we get to the docks and I stop the car. Nix frowns for a second, almost as if he's not sure how we got here. Frowning I see when he turns to look at me, clocking how tired he looks.

"I'm alright," He smiles tiredly in response before I have a chance to even ask what's on my mind. Almost as if he knew what I was about to say. "I'm ok, I'll rest when we have a chance." His next words are more tired somehow as if he's letting me see beneath the mask like we agreed we'd do with each other when it's just us. "We'll both be ok; we have to be."

I smile in response but it's tired and tight, brittle at the edges like it's about to snap. "Yeah, we will be." He looks at our joined hands then, the ring on my finger and I swear I see him smile wider than ever before. "I'm still yours, we still have each other." He looks a little unconvinced but I just smile. "It's like you said, we'll be ok. Yeah?"

This time he doesn't respond verbally just offers that smile I love to see and nods as we release each other's hands to get out and lock the car. Finding the path to the warehouse I show Nix how to get there if we're not together for some reason and make sure he's grasped it before we move on and I knock on the door. Just like last time Valentina answers but this time without the suspicion from before. Just warm smiles to both of us, but eyes wary.

"In, both of you, before you get seen." She ushers us inside and closes the door. "Nice to see both of you safe, being family and all." Nix looks confused for a second before Val laughs, "Ash let us know about it all. Glad to have you Nix." He smiles, taken off guard for a second at the nickname but says nothing else. "Come on, everyone else is gathered and we need to talk about all of this even more so now you two are back. Given everything." She phrases it delicately but I can't help the shiver that skitters down my spine when she does. "Sorry Riv, didn't mean to..."

I sigh, hugging the young girl. "It's ok Val, I know you didn't; it's just hard to deal with. To remember what's going on." I take a breath, looking between her and Nix. "But you're right, as was Ash, we do need to talk about this and the time is now. Before the Spades get any more of an advantage. Well, more than they already have." Val gives me a look, knowing as much as we do about the false and tampered evidence. The videos. "Let's get this over with."

Val nods and gestures for Nix and me to follow her down to the space we'd been in before. Nix's hand never leaves mine, his thumb tracing over the ring ever so slightly as if to remind himself that it's still there. That I am. But I just grip his hand back and smile, keep smiling until we get down to the place the others are waiting in. Even Maeve and Antonio, two people though I know to hold high positions haven't come to something like this in years. Choosing instead to rely on Ash or one of the twins to relay back to them what happens.