The Phoenix People

Chapter Fifty-Five

For the next half hour or so, we focused on spells I had already known as well as new ones.

Suddenly, Anna stopped, a grin splitting her face. I turned to see what she was smiling at and gasped.

Moon, the priestess of the church, stood at the entrance to the building, holding Jack.

"Jack!" I cried joyfully, running toward the pair. The child turned towards me, his mouth opening in a sweet smile.

"Mama," he said happily, extending his arms towards me.

I halted dead in my tracks. My lips silently formed the word. Mama?

Moon's mouth opened in an O. Her eyes shone.

I sprang into motion, grabbing Jack from Moon. "Hello, baby," I cooed, my heart swelling with love for him - my child.

Moon wrapped her arms around both of us. "Welcome back, darling."

I rested my head on her shoulder, sighing deeply and feeling, finally, at peace with the world.

Finally, Anna asked tentatively, "Are you ready to get back to training, Alexia?"

I pulled away from Moon slowly, reluctantly replying, "Yes."

"We'll watch," Moon offered, taking Jack back. I realized she was only making the offer to keep the child close to me, and smiled gratefully at her. My heart was still singing from that one simple word: Mama.

But then I remembered Grace, and my good mood plummeted.

Changelings had notoriously poor memories that seemed to improve with age. Jack, being so young, was no exception. I still felt awful, however, that I had so quickly replaced his last mother.

Someone laid a hand on my shoulder and I glanced over to find Anna watching me with a sad smile. "What happened to Grace was a tragedy," she said softly. "Do not let it keep you from being a mother to that child."

I looked at this young girl, wise far beyond her years, and felt tears swelling in my eyes, threatening to spill.

I took a deep breath and nodded resolutely. "I'm ready."

*

I had forgotten that the courtyard shut down at five until the bells rang and the few lingering People filed back into the church like clockwork.

I sighed. I was not looking forward to returning to the underground chambers. However, I dutifully followed Anna back into the infirmary, Moon behind me to drop off Jack with the other orphans. We had decided that, for the time being, I would focus solely on training instead of parenting.

We headed to the bedroom that Anna and I had previously shared. Now that I was well again, I would no longer be staying in the recovery room.

"Bye-bye, Jack," I murmured, pressing a kiss to his small forehead.

"Mama," he murmured, looking sleepy. My heart thrilled with love. I waved at Moon, Jack's head resting on her shoulder, until they rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Ready to go to bed?" Anna asked.

My stomach rumbled in response and she gasped. "Oh! I completely forgot about dinner!"

As we walked towards the common room I had so often visited, Anna explained, "We don't always have dinner."

"Truly?" I didn't remembered food being a problem when I had been with the Phoenix People. So much had changed since my banishment.

"Audric found most of our food suppliers," Anna said quietly. "Now it's mostly whatever we can catch in the forest or are given from our sympathizers."

"How is he getting so much information?"

"He has upped the reward for information on us," Anna replied softly. "Significantly. And he has also made living conditions for Lowborns much worse. The quickest way for Lowborns to stay alive and keep their families safe is to give the king information about us."

How could living conditions for the Lowborns have gotten worse? They were already treated like animals.

"How do you know there will be enough food tonight?" I asked.

"I don't and there probably won't be," she warned me. "It's a first-come-first-serve business. Although sometimes my father's influence lands me a few crusts of bread when I'm too late."

I looked at this girl, so young and yet casually discussing nights of hunger, where she had to rely on her father's power to get her food fit for the dogs - and it was all because of my brother. Rather than my familiar anger, I felt a deep pity for the Lowborns. Who could stand to live like this for so many decades, entire lifetimes?

Anna walked up to a woman I didn't recognize to exchange a few words with her. I saw by the droop of my friend's shoulders that the news wasn't good.

The woman bit her lip and said a few more words. Anna perked back up, as did my stomach.

Anna glanced over her shoulder at me and beckoned me over. "She has some stale bread," she told me excitedly. "She'll fetch it for us."

A small, selfish voice inside of me whispered, Your kidnappers in the Outlands treated you better. I ignored it and thanked the woman.

After Anna and I had quickly eaten our makeshift dinner, we returned to our room. Thankfully, I quickly found sleep.