The Phoenix People

Chapter Fifty-Three

I wasn't sure how I made it past the guards patrolling the outskirts of the city. My pain-laced vision blurred as I focused all my energy on moving forward. Soon, though, I found myself staggering around the streets of the Lowborn community.

"2202!" a mother called, and a little boy came running. I watched dimly, swaying slightly as I stood at the side of the street.

The woman noticed me and did a double take. "Ma'am?" she called, lowering her eyes respectfully as she hurried over to me, her child close behind her. "Do you need help?"

I nodded dazedly, adjusting Jack's wrappings to hold him closer. The woman's eyes widened as she realized that I had a child with me.

"Harmony," I breathed.

"Sorry?"

"Take me to Harmony."

The woman cast a nervous look around and lowered her voice warningly. "We do not speak of the People here."

"Please." My voice broke from exhaustion and desperation.

The woman stared at me for several seconds before sighing deeply. "Before we take you back to the Highborns," she said loudly, "I know of a small shop where you could rest and get something to eat." Turning to her child, she ordered, "Go home, 2202."

"But - "

"Home. Now," the woman said sternly.

The little boy groaned exasperatedly, kicking the dirt before turning and ambling sulkily towards their house.

The woman maintained a respectful distance from me as she started to walk, myself stumbling along beside her. I felt a flash of irritation. I was in so much pain and desperately in need of kindness, but because of our idiotic social differences, this woman was risking everything to deliver me to people considered radicals - radical because they loved everyone. The injustice of it truly hit me.

Not to mention that a little boy, no older than seven or eight years old, would go through his entire life being called "2202."

Well, not if I had anything to do with it.

I couldn't tell if Jack was sleeping or in shock. Sincerely hoping for the former, I pulled down the cloths so I could see his face and breathed a sigh of relief at his serene, resting features.

Eventually, I started to recognize the area around me. I took a moment to appreciate the irony of the fact that I probably knew my way around the Lowborn neighborhoods better than those of the Highborns - after all, I had spent more time in the former - before scanning the street for Harmony's shop.

"Wait here," the woman commanded when we were a few buildings away from the small store. I understood - after all, I was incredibly conspicuous in my strange, sand-caked clothing and baby tied to my torso, and that was without considering my Highborn features.

The world was getting strangely dark. Why was it getting so dark? I didn't enjoy it.

And then I was falling onto my side, and the last thing I remembered was Jack starting to cry.

*

I woke up in the same room that I had inhabited while recovering from my fall from the horse. Annamaria was reading quietly in one of the chairs.

"Anna," I managed, before falling silent. My throat was raw and dry, aching.

Anna leaped to her feet, mouth dropping open. "She's awake!" she yelled out the doorway before rushing to my side and grabbing my hand. "Oh, by the gods, Alexia."

Theo and Griffin burst into my room. "Alexia!" they cried out in unison.

"Water, she needs water," Anna told them frantically. Theo dashed from the room to go retrieve some.

"Jack," I breathed, praying to the gods that the child was alive and well.

"What?" Anna asked, both she and Griffin moving closer to hear me.

"Jack," I repeated in a slightly louder whisper, which was all I could manage.

Anna backed up slightly, understanding on her face. Griffin shot her a look of confusion.

"She's asking about Jack," Anna explained before turning back to me. "He's fine, princess. In fact, he's doing extremely well."

I breathed a sigh of relief, closing my eyes. I heard Theo reenter the room with sloshing liquid and opened my eyes to find him offering me a cup of water. "Drink," he urged. "You're dehydrated."

I accepted the cup and downed it in seconds. The water was the most wonderful thing I had ever tasted.

Theo, Griffin, and Anna were watching me worriedly. I held up the cup. More. I need more.

Theo filled my cup again and again. Each time, I drained its contents. Finally, he took the cup from me, refusing to get me more. "I don't want you to make yourself sick," he explained in response to my betrayed look.

"What happened?" I asked. The last thing I remembered was falling unconscious on a Lowborn street.

"You passed out. The woman who was leading you told Harmony, who in turn alerted us. We brought you in through the back way," Theo explained.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"So...what happened to you?" Anna asked quietly.

"Anna," Griffin warned quietly. "She might not want to talk about that just yet."

"It's fine." I lied. I didn't want to think about any aspect of my banishment. Trying to change the subject, I asked, "Where's Melody?"

"She's on a mission. The king is cracking down on us hard. He just won't leave us alone. We've all been going on more missions to try and gather enough information to finally strike."

"How's it going?"

"Surprisingly well, actually," Anna piped up.

"She's right," Theo affirmed. "In fact, if Melody's mission goes well, we'll have all the pieces."

I froze, staring at the trio in shock. "Truly?"

They all nodded.

This was huge. If we were that close to killing Audric, this would soon all be over, one way or another.

I couldn't stop the slow grin that spread over my face. I knew it was strange, being excited at the prospect of seeing my own brother dead, but I had spent so long being deceived by him - and after he had banished me, I didn't exactly hold any fondness in my heart for him.

"You should rest," Theo told me. He took Griffin's hand and led him from the room. Anna started to follow them.

"Can you stay?" I asked impulsively.

Anna glanced back at me, confusion in her eyes. "Of course," she replied.

"Can I tell you what happened?" I whispered.

Anna attempted to hide the excitement that flashed across her features. "Of course," she repeated.

So I did. I told her everything. I could only trust that she was strong enough to handle it.

By the end, I was crying uncontrollably. I could finally let my emotions go, and they came pouring out of me.

Anna was quite obviously struggling with her own tears. "Oh, Alexia," she murmured.

I stared at the wall of the room numbly, tears streaming down my face. Finally, I could just release all of my pent-up fear and stress.

Anna climbed onto my bed and hugged me tightly, her tiny form starting to shake.

We sat on the bed, holding one another, and together, we sobbed.