The Pure One -✔- Book Two of the Phoenix Trilogy

Chapter 16 Freedom from Death

It was three days after her intimate encounter with Marcus. The vampire didn't show himself afterwards until now. She mastered her spells within two days and stayed the whole day with her group inside the training chamber the whole third day. Venus was disappointed. Marcus was excused since he had to go send Animone home. But, she did enjoy herself with the rest, thankful that nobody asked about the previous happening even the tactless Amelia was tongue-tied. She was awed by how they all mastered their fire and combat fighting. She was like a child in the midst of soldiers.

Her group could travel through fire now but for Venus' sake, they were all standing now in front of the portal to travel for their quest. She could travel in her angelicum form but since she was not allowed to transform outside the academy for secrecy purposes so they opted to travel this way. Venus refused to be carried again by fire.

"Okay, we're all set up. We gotta get moving now. Marcus and Aldrik will meet us on the other side of this portal since they're both coming from their homes." Rufus stated, he was the captain of the group since they were not allowed to be accompanied by masters or mistresses on this special quest.

"Damn! I'm really not feeling good about this." Daphne complained while Rufus uttered their point of destination in front of the portal.

"It's okay D, I don't think mermadians kill a siren on sight. They might ask questions first. Well, they must, right?" Amelia tried to console her in the most ridiculous way.

"Actually, they don't." Agnus butted in, clasped his hand with Daphne and added, "I will protect you."

"Ughh! Too nauseous for me. Let's get the hell away from here, Vee." Amelia did a vomit gesture then dragged Venus behind Rufus, bumping into his back deliberately, "Opps! Sorry, lover boy." She winked at him when he looked back and glared at her.

"Don't start with me, Melrick!" The demon spat calling Amelia by her real name and identity.

"Aww. It really shows how much I mean to you. You can't even forget my real name when nobody even remembers it."

"No, I remember!" Agnus interjected totally oblivious.

"Shut up! Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Amelia irritatingly snapped at the startled Faerian and she pulled Venus with her crossing the portal after she shoved the chuckling Rufus aside.

Agnus looked at Daphne, his eyes asking silently what he did wrong but the siren just shrugged her shoulders and followed the two girls, again shoving aside her demon cousin who had just regained his position in front. She was ticked off on how prick Rufus could really be at times. Amelia barely losses her anger but somehow what Rufus said got into her. After all, if there's anyone who the shifter didn't want to look at her as just a homosexual, it would be Rufus.

"What's up with all of you? I'm your Captain, at least respect that and don't just bolt ahead without me!" Rufus was pissed when he appeared on the other side but automatically shut his mouth when he saw Venus was freaking out as she clung tightly to Amelia.

"No freaking way! Like seriously? Who's the idiot who would make an entrance like that?" Venus' panicky voice echoed through the thirty feet cliff that they were standing after coming out from the portal.

"Oh, only the idiot that was wearing the crown. No, biggie!" Daphne answered her sarcastically which earned glares from her other companions. She held her hands up and shrugged, "What?"

"Vee, listen. This is the only way in and out. The Mermadian Queen made this gate herself using the Pearl's magic to detect the intention of the intruders. It's their only way of protecting it from beings who seeks its power." Agnus explained.

"And what happens after detecting the intentions?" Venus asked in a shaky voice dreading the answer. She feels like she's gonna vomit any moment from the memories this so-called cliff drop gave her. It reminded her exactly of the cliff from the Angelic Realm. And she learned her lesson well for not asking questions. She was having goosebumps from recalling the pain she had gone through. It was still as fresh as the air she was breathing in at the moment.

"Aherm. . ." Rufus cleared his throat to give a warning to the others to be very careful of the next words they would tell Venus but Amelia being herself again just ignored Rufus as she faced the shaking Venus that clings to her like a gecko.

"Easy peasy, Vee! Good intentions equals to entrance and bad intentions equals to the rocky sea surface down, in short, death." Amelia talked like she actually only talked about what breakfast she ate in the morning, she didn't even see how Venus paled like her face was dipped into a plate of flour.

"N--no, not again!" Vee wailed like a petulant child. She was not just scared but petrified. How could she not? She could still even hear how every bone in her body was broken.

"Huh? Not again? I thought it's your first time here?" Daphne was giving her a don't-lie-to-me or don't-give-me-that-crap look.

"Idiot! I will be with you." Aldrik spoke from behind jokingly, he was standing by the portal with Marcus beside him. It seemed like they arrived just as the commotion started. Aldrik walked towards the edge followed by Marcus to stand beside Rufus.

"No! You don't understand and you don't know what I've been through. I can't. Why not let me change to my other form?" Venus insisted stubbornly.

"You can't. Two reasons: one is for the secrecy and second is for that fog. . ." Rufus paused then pointed to the cloud-like smoke surrounding the cliff.

"What about that? Duh! It's supposed to have that. We're literally as high as the sky!" Amelia asked perplexed. She sees a normal cloud formation when you're on a high place.

Rufus gave Amelia a glare then continued trying to ignore her, ". . . As I was saying, that fog is not just an ordinary cloud. It's called the 'sucking limbo', it literally. . ." He paused again to glare one more time to the shifter and to emphasize the pun. ". . . Means that anything that dives from this cliff with any aid of flying, I mean, anything at all, will be sucked with that fog and you will be forever lost in the 'sea of the lost'. A limbo that will hold you captive for an eternity."

"That's absurd! Just how powerful that Pearl exactly is, to put up such desperate measure such as this?" Venus was almost hysterical about the whole idea of jumping again without parachute.

"Look, Vee. No one wants this. Me especially since mermadians are the mortal enemy of my clan but we're doing it for you. I'm doing it for you. So it's either you jump or we pack up and go home empty handed." Daphne said emotionally. She felt that Venus have something strong reason deep inside. An experience beyond horrifying for her to act this way. They may be friends for only a few years but she knows her very well. Vee's one of the strongest person she knew. And right now her bestfriend needed a morale boost and that's what exactly she's giving her.

Venus looked at Daphne teary eyed. She was touched about how she cares about her but her fears are like monsters under her bed that keeps her on track. She was tied down to her terrors that she couldn't even look at the edge. She was shaking just thinking about it. She's not that strong, after all.

Everyone held their breaths in their throats as they watched Venus turned to look at the cliff's edge direction and take one shaky step forward. But then she stopped and she looked back at them and said, "Let's go home." She suddenly blurted out and run fast towards the portal leaving them in shock.

A blur passed them following Venus then they saw Marcus hugging her from behind a few steps away from the portal. His words were firm and loud, "We will jump together, my inamorata. It seems that only through death that we will have our freedom."