The Phoenix People

Chapter Thirty-Six

When I finally reawoke, most of the pain was gone. I felt sore, bruised and battered, but the stabbing pain all along the left side of my body was gone. Somehow, I managed to struggle into a sitting position.

"Alexia!" Annamaria shrieked. She flung herself across the room and into my lap. I sucked in a breath as her weight pressed into my bruises, but hugged her back.

When my friend released me, I got a better look around the room I was in. We were still in the underground base - that much was obvious from the stone walls, floor, and ceiling.

I was lying on a bed that had been pushed to the center of the room. It had neither a headboard nor a footboard. In fact, it was a strange, oddly familiar bed and it took me a few seconds to remember having seen similar beds in the palace infirmary.

Several chairs were pushed against the walls, but there were only two people in the room besides myself - Anna and Melody.

My gaze darted between them. My throat was so dry that when I attempted to speak, I could only choke out one word: "What?"

Melody picked up on my true question immediately. "You were saving Oak when you both fell off your horse. The rest of us got away unharmed. Robin...took care of the cart driver and used one of the horses to diverge the guard until she lost them about three miles north of your collision point. Theo and Griffin doubled back when the coast was clear and luckily found you two. You had mostly broken Oak's fall, so he's uninjured. Well, he has a wicked black eye and a few bruised ribs, but he'll recover."

Anna picked up a glass of water from the floor and passed it to me wordlessly. I downed the entire thing before speaking again.

"And Dove?"

"She's fine. Very rattled - wouldn't speak for an hour after we got her back - but aside from a small scrape, she's uninjured."

I sighed in relief, thumping my head back against the pillow.

"You, however, came out a little worse for wear," Melody continued dryly, beginning to count off my injuries. "A broken arm and leg, a sprained wrist, and several fractured ribs."

"Seems like I should be in a lot more pain, then," I muttered, glancing down at my body.

Anna chuckled and explained, "My father, Theo, and I - we fixed you, for the most part."

"Oh. Thank you."

Melody stood, gesturing Anna to rise with her. "The council wanted to speak to you as soon as you felt up to it," she told me:

I sighed. "I'm up to it now, I suppose."

Melody and Anna left the room. A few seconds later, the council entered.

The councilwoman stepped forward and took my hand in a gesture that did the exact opposite of what was intended. I stared into the darkness of her hood uneasily. The way it so perfectly concealed all of her features was unnerving to say the least.

"We are so sorry about what happened, Princess," the councilwoman said quietly. Completely taken aback, I did not reply.

"But you did save an innocent life. You have proven that you are truly a valuable asset to the Phoenix People," she continued.

Where are you going with this? I wanted to ask, but forced myself to remain patient.

"We have decided on a reward," the council member assured me grandly. "You are to join us on a very important mission."

Anger bubbled within me and I couldn't keep myself from blurting out, "Are you joking?"

The councilwoman snatched her hand from mine. I could almost feel her shock.

"On my very first mission, I was attacked by a horrific monster and got stranded in the woods. On the second, I broke my body. And now you're 'rewarding' me with another one?"

"This is of a much different nature."

"Talk quickly." I knew that I was far out of line and that the council deserved, demanded, more respect, but I couldn't seem to hold in my frustration.

You asked for this, I reminded myself. Nobody forced you into the Phoenix people. You ordered Melody to help you join like the foolish girl you are.

"There is a ball," the councilwoman explained, "being held at the castle."

"And you think it's a good idea to send me?" I asked incredulously, cutting her off.

"You know the castle's layout well. And you also know your brother. Alexia, this ball could be our opportunity to get rid of him once and for all." The councilwoman's voice grew more passionate as she spoke - she was using far more emotion than her usual mysterious monotone.

The thought of having a hand in my brother's murder was a very odd idea, one that I instinctively balked at. Then I remembered the cold way he had treated his Lowborn prisoner, the disgusting things he was doing to defenseless women and children. My resolve hardened.

"Won't people recognize me?" I pointed out.

"That's the perfect part." I could tell by the woman's tone of voice that she was smiling. "It's a masquerade ball."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement at that. Masquerade balls were my favorite kinds of social events by far. I loved the way that I could move unseen through the throngs of important guests, hardly noticed and treated like any other Highborn. Those were the rare nights that I didn't have to act like a young, orphaned princess, isolated and alone.

And the call for masks would mean my face would be hidden, unrecognizable. I could attend the ball safely.

"Fine," I agreed after a moment of contemplation.

The councilwoman went so far as to clap her hands in excitement. "The ball is tonight," she warned me, slightly apologetically. "I'm sorry that it's on such short notice - "

"Do you have a dress and a mask?" I interrupted.

"Yes."

"Then I'm fine. We need to start preparing now."

The councilwoman was obviously taken aback by my sudden dedication to the mission and shuffled back a few steps as I rose.

I stared into the dark recesses of her hood, where I guessed her eyes were. "Fill me in on the details," I ordered.