Kingdom of Life and Death (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 9 "Deal" [part 1]

I never wanted to be the kind of person who had to show herself to be so... powerful. It was something I considered more than unnecessary.

But Caelus was right, I couldn't let Phoenix continue to act like he was acting. 

In this case, I had to show him who had the upper hand.

Because I had tried everything, I really had.

I had asked him to trust me, he had turned me down.

I had asked him to give me time to figure everything out, he couldn't wait.

I was tired of arguing with him.

It was time for him to finally choose which side he wanted to be on, and not make me waste any more time trying to convince him to trust me.

I was in control now.

'Let's make a deal, shall we?' I said holding him back in the circle of fire.

Caelus approached me, wiping what I thought was blood from his face.

I didn't like Phoenix at all in that moment.

'How can we talk if you have me surrounded by fire?'

It wasn't just any fire.

It was divine fire.

He knew it as much as I did and that was why he was so terrified.

'You caused this. You attacked Caelus...'

'Because he brought you into his room to do Gods know what, because he hides who he is and because I really don't like that he has been remotely close to my sister. I can keep going all day, the list goes on and on and on.'

I watched Caelus and noticed the smirk on his face.

Phoenix's whole attitude amused him, he loved causing that in the young King who all he saw was a troublesome pirate. 

He didn't know he was his cousin, he didn't even know he could be a King like him and decided not to be.

'Don't try to justify your mistakes. What you did to Caelus was wrong. Just like it was wrong for you to disrespect me, again.'

'You have no...'

'I have not what? Try to calm down. We both know you're still angry about the dragons.'

I noticed the panic in his gaze that I was mentioning it in front of Caelus.

'I told you I couldn't keep anything from him.'

What I said surprised Caelus, who looked at me with what I presumed resembled pride.

'He's a burden I have to live with forever,' I added.

'Such a sweetheart,' Caelus commented without looking me in the eye.

I had to make sure I was even more careful not to show love now that we would be working together again.

I had to lie, as best I could.

'Let me out of here,' Phoenix insisted.

'I'll let you out if you accept my deal first.'

'What a nice way to trust you.'

'I've already tried everything. If you don't want to do it the easy way... we'll do it the hard way. And believe me I can be wicked.'

Thinking of the shadows that lurked within me, the fire did not resemble the suffering they could cause.

'What kind of deal?' he asked already frustrated, finding no way out.