Fireheart

Chapter 18

The week went by smoothly. Phoenix and I continue to train, my flames coming out in new colors every day. Part of one lesson was seeing if I could control the colors, which I found I could. I usually just preferred to let the flames come out as they did. Wolf still found comfort in them, no matter the color.
Raising was still hard, no matter what I tried. I was able to raise a fresh kill though, so that was something.
When the night of the church meeting came, Phoenix was on edge.
"Will you quit pacing?" I asked as I walked into the bedroom from the bathroom. Garnet had made me a wig, long and brown. Much different from my short, white hair.
"No. I'm potentially about to let you walk into danger. Wolf is beating me up over this."
Aww yes. Our wolves.
I watched Phoenix's sculpted body pace as I dug out a clean uniform. He was naked, as he planned to Shift and hide in the woods in case I am found out.
"You know I can hold my own, love."
He shook his head and continued pacing. Whatever.
"I'm sorry, Fyre." He said after a moment. "I just. After Bruce, I can't stand the idea of letting you kick the wasp's nest."
I shook my head as I pulled my clothes on.
"I'm not kicking anything. I'm just trying to catch this guy's scent so we can prosecute him for the terrorism against the Clans."
In the last week, several more attacks in the name of Thanom had been made. A couple Shifters had been killed, and most of the attacks were against the Muz. The thing about it, is the attackers always dressed to look like the Clan. Thanom was always printed on the attack site.
There was a quick rap on the front door of the house.
"Go ahead and Shift. I think that's Connor."
Phoenix crossed the room and pulled me against him. He gave me a deep kiss.
"I love you, Fyre."
"I love you too, Pheonix."
He hunched his back and groaned until it turned into whining. His familiar silver wolf stood in the bedroom. Connor knocked again.
"Hold your horses!" I yelled. Phoenix scoffed beside me.
"Shut it." I told him, smirking.
I walked to the door, with Phoenix following close behind. I opened the door, and saw Connor with his fist up, ready to knock again.
"Oh hello." He said, lowering his hand. "Are Fyre or Phoenix here?"
I smiled and looked down at Phoenix.
"I'm afraid you just missed them."
He bunched his brow.
"Did they already leave?"
"No." I said, trying to contain my giggles. Phoenix growled.
"Then.... Oh, wait. You're wearing a wig, aren't you, Fyre?"
Oh dang.
"I wish I could've kept that up a little longer." I said, stepping out of the house. Phoenix followed quickly.
"I had to look at your eyes. They're not really common."
"You think it'll be a problem at the meeting?"
Connor shook his head.
"They're like a middle western kinda thing. You should be fine."
We started descending the hill that led to the house. The night felt good on my skin.
"So where is Phoenix?" Connor asked.
I watched the large wolf running around the hill and smelling what he could.
"He's around."
Connor looked at the wolf and nodded. I hope he understood because he didn't ask me to elaborate.
"Are you guys actually married?" He suddenly asked. I stopped in my tracks.
"What?" I said, kind of shocked.
"There's a rumor going around that you only have fire and can Shift because you guys are married. Is that true?"
I shook my head. Phoenix told me this would start going around when the Clan realized we were together.
"No, it's not true. My power is my own. We mostly sleep together."
Connor smiled.
"I thought I'd ask. I knew they were yours. I was just wondering if you were married."
We finished the walk in silence. The church meeting was in the Fire room. Phoenix immediately ran into the woods, making no noise.
"What is your name for tonight?" Connor asked. I racked my brain to think of a good name.
"Annika." I replied. Now that was a name I hadn't thought of in a long time.
He shrugged and opened the door. There were several men here and only one other woman. They were seated, and whispering what sounded like a prayer.
"Oh Thanom, we are your Warriors. Please bless us to do your work to bring you the Inhumans, so you may cleanse the human race."
"What is that about?" I whispered to Connor.
"A prayer." He whispered back. "They start every service with it. Sit with me, and listen. Pretend you're learning it."
We sat towards the front and bowed our heads. I listened to Connor as I heard more people file into the little room.
"Oh Thanom, we are your Warriors...."
I heard everyone recite it at least once. The prayer sent chills up my spine. If they knew me or Phoenix, they wouldn't think we're inhuman.
"Okay, my brothers and sisters." An older man said from the front. Altogether, the prayers stopped. I took a deep breath. His smell dug up the memories of the fort. Neither male nor female. He himself wasn't human. But who was he?
"Good evening, Warriors of Thanom. Welcome. I see Brother Connor has brought us a guest tonight. Come up here and tell us your name."
I felt my eyes widen as I stood and made my way next to the thing at the front.
"My name is Annika." I said, making sure my voice sounded full of nerves.
"Welcome, Annika. Tell us. Why do you want to be a Warrior of Thanom?"
I shook my head.
"I watched my parents die at the hands of a jaguar. I want to make sure no one has to go through that again."
The man patted my back then asked me to sit again.
"So many people have to watch someone they love be killed by Inhumans, Annika. That's why we started this church. So we may bring these Inhumans to Father Thanom and see them eradicated."
"Praise be to Thanom." Said the church in unison. This was starting to sound cultish.
"My own father." Said the man. "My own father was murdered by an entire coven of immortals! I only remember the name of their leader. Naomi. I told myself that one day I would watch that immortal die! I was visited by Thanom the next night! He told me. 'Monto. Get others to help you. Bring me all of the inhuman scum!'."
"Preach, Brother Monto!" Yelled a woman in the back. Monto. I would remember that name.
"Now let us come up here and tell Sister Annika our stories!"
The rest of the night was pretty much the same. People came to stand next to Monto and say why they wished to see Inhumans gone. Praise be to Thanom followed every story, which creeped me out to hell and back.
In the end, Monto took the stand again.
"Tomorrow evening, we launch another attack against the Muz. If you can, you should grab a uniform from me tonight. We will burn Thanom on the Frozen Palace! Thanom will have control! These Clans will perish for allowing Inhumans to exist!"
Several members stood and cheered. As for me, I was ready to leave.
"We'll hope you participate, Sister Annika." Monto said to me.
"I hope I can." I said to him, smiling. He smiled back.
While members went to grab uniforms, Connor and I left the room.
Phoenix's silver wolf came out of the woods and followed us home.
"It's like a cult." I whispered, opening the door. Connor followed me inside. Phoenix disappeared in our bedroom, likely to sleep.
"I always leave those meetings with a pit in my stomach." He said.
"Do they always tell you where they'll attack?"
Connor shook his head.
"No. They just say they'll attack a Clan and when. I think they've been planning this for a while."
"I'll have to let Phoenix know when he wakes up."
I smelled Garnet before she opened the door. Something about her smelled off.
She looked at me and Connor and sat on the couch.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"I confirmed the attacker." I said.
"Monto is his name. Older white guy."
She nodded her head.
"Did he say anything personal?"
"His father was killed by a coven of immortals lead by a person named Naomi." Connor said.
"Then I know him." Garnet said. "When Phoenix is awake, I'll get permission to arrest him. In the meantime, we need to figure out what we do with the Church."
"They're launching an attack on the Muz tomorrow." I said. "They plan on burning Thanom into the Frozen Palace."
"I will write a letter to Aspen then. In the meantime, Connor you get to sleep. I'll stay here and talk with Phoenix."
"Yes, mam. Goodnight you guys." Connor said to us.
After he left, Garnet and I sat on the couch and talked for a few hours.
"Monto was my teacher." She said after spending some time skirting over the subject. "I took over his teaching spot when I came of age."
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I'm 20."
She was my age then.
"What is of age here?"
She shrugged.
"When you can completely control your flames. I could control mine at 16."
"So you've been teaching for 4 years?"
She smiled and nodded.
"I love doing it. I love watching people become something great."
I heard Phoenix wake up. As I stood, Garnet grabbed my arm.
"Can I tell you something that you promise to keep secret for now?"
I bunched my brow.
"Of course."
Garnet smiled as I sat back on the couch. She looked at her hands in her lap.
"I'm pregnant."
I smiled and wrapped her in a hug, which she returned. That's why she smelled off. How long had she smelled off?
"How far along are you?" I asked, making sure to ask quietly. We didn't need Phoenix hearing.
"I've missed two cycles. So Yonny, a healer here, thinks I'm two months along."
"That's great." I said.
"And I want you and Phoenix to be its godparents." She said, hugging me again.
"Oh, of course, we will. When are you going to tell Jerrik?"
"Tonight, hopefully. But first I have to make sure Monto is behind bars."
I nodded as Phoenix walked into the room.
"Who is Monto?" He asked, sleep covering his voice.
"The leader of the Church." I replied, patting the couch. He sat, and looked at us for an explanation.
"He is an older man. He says his father was killed by an immortal named Naomi."
He nodded his head.
"He was a teacher here, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was." Garnet said. "I just need permission to arrest him."
"Wait until sunrise. Then arrest him. As for me and Fyre, it sounds like we're taking a trip into the mountains."
"For what?" I asked.
"Why to visit the Immortals of course."
"You wanna take her into that situation?" Garnet asked, looking just a little pale.
"You wanna take her place? I trust both of you to watch my back."
I shook my head at Garnet. She didn't need to be putting her unborn child in that situation.
"Of course not. You know I'm scared of them."
"What's so bad about them?" I asked. Of course, we went over what an Immortal is in School, but I had never met one before. They were rarer than Shifters were.
"Think vampire, without the weaknesses." Garnet said. "They also don't live off blood. But they have fangs, are usually talented in magic, and can't go in sunlight. They just don't die. That's why they're called Immortals."
I looked down at my feet. They did sound a little scary.
"Rumors are they came from humans that were Raised by a Yong'in, but the Yong'in died before they could release them, which changed them." Phoenix said.
"I'll still go of course." I said to them. "Wolves hunt in packs."
Phoenix grabbed my hand and squeezed when Garnet groaned.
"I'm going back to bed. Y'all do the same, and let me know when you leave."
I told her goodbye, then stood up with Phoenix.
"They must be bad to make Garnet pale."
Phoenix shrugged.
"She smells weird."
"She might be coming down with something." I replied.
"Let's get back to bed."
I nodded. I was long tired. Sleep sounded good.

The woman gasps. It is like looking into a mirror. But the mirror has grown fangs.
She leaps at a pure white wolf, digging her fangs into its neck. I have some instinct to protect him, but Wolf knows he deserves it. He had angered the woman.
I circle, watching the wolf struggle. I hadn't noticed because of his color, but he has grayed around the muzzle. You can barely make it out.
A young woman comes up behind me. She is beautiful. Deep red eyes with a sheet of shiny black hair. She's tanned from so many days in the sun.
"You should have killed him when you got the chance. Now Naomi has to die for your mistakes."
I opened my mouth to speak, but the woman melts into a silver wolf. She tackles the mirror woman, and tears at her throat. She locks eyes with me as she dies.

I gasped and sat up, sweat covering my body. Was the mirror woman Naomi?
Strong arms wrap around me.
"What is wrong, Fireheart?" Phoenix asks, nuzzling my neck.
"I had a weird dream." I tell him.
"I'm here, Fyre. We only have an hour or two of nighttime left. Let's sleep."
He lays me back down, and holds me against his chest. I stay awake, as he falls back into a deep sleep.
I can't help but remeber that the young woman had Phoenix's hair and nose.