For Once | Dreaming Trilogy | Book 2

Kayla | Not-Phoenix

The ending of this chapter fell apart and will probably be completely revamped, but you get the just of it, right?

If my arm had fallen off, I would've been better off. After crashing into the ground, a cloaked woman came to me. I didn't look at her face, because suddenly the ice I'd surrounded my wound in was shattered.

I shrieked, writhing, as a flame burst forth in the cloaked woman's hand. It was pressed roughly against my wound, into my wound. I screamed, trying to escape, but her other pale hand held me fast.

Over my screaming and yelping, I heard Shyanne's soft voice. "Phoenix?"

That distracted me enough from the pain. I stopped struggling, looking under the hood. I saw that shock of blue, pale skin contrasting against the darkness of her cloak. The ring in her lip, stud in her nose, all of it was her.

Except her eyes. The only color except black was the shining glint of malice in them.

I struggled harder, yanking my body back and forth despite the pain shooting through my body. "Let go of me!" I shouted.

Shyanne scrambled to my side, holding me down. "Shh," she said. "It's okay. It's Phoenix. Let her heal you."

I started to shout again, but with a blink, Phoenix's eyes turned back to their normal silver. The pain in my arm subsided. I shot up, dagger gripped tightly in my hand.

Phoenix stood then, letting her hood drop. Shyanne and I stared up at her.

"How... Phoenix...," Shyanne sputtered quietly.

I stared at it. It was not Phoenix.

She looked around. I stared at her features, waiting for them to shift into a monster. "We need to move, Shyanne," she said. He voice was cooler than I remembered. "It's coming."

Shyanne stood. Blood slid down her forehead from the abrasion on her hairline.

I looked at my empty hand. My fingers curled around the golden grass. Ice spread from under my palm. I moved my hand away.

A mile or so away stood a terrifyingly familiar wall of rose bushes. Wonderland loomed in front of me.

Last time I'd been in Wonderland, the Nightmare had me in chains and was preparing to sacrifice me as a way to prove her loyalty to the Red Queen. I was about to be killed when Shane, Shyanne, and Phoenix came rushing in.

That's how I knew the person in black in front of me wasn't Phoenix. I owed my life to her. Not this thing.

"What's coming?" Shyanne pressed.

As always, something rumbled below us. Shyanne and I scrambled to our feet. Phoenix drew her sword from somewhere under her cloak. I saw no flames. How could anyone believe this thing was Phoenix?

Shyanne believed it. As the ground rumbled again, she stared at the cloaked woman. "What is it, Phoenix?" I'd never noticed how articulate she was in speaking, each word being its own without any slurring.

Phoenix spoke in the contrary; every word touched the other in a gentle sort of way. The woman in the cloak replied as if she were royalty, scolded for slurring. "A beast who feeds on hysteria."

I scowled at her. Even with the ground shaking beneath my feet, I knew better than to take my eyes away. The Dream Void gained power when you ignored it. "Why is it coming after us already?"

"Phoenix" snorted. "It's starving."

"Why?" I pressed coldly. I used that steely gaze that always got me the last slice of pizza when Shane was home.