The Phoenix People

Chapter Sixty-One

Today, Annamarie and I didn't completely drain our magical resources. After all, we wanted to ensure that we would be powerful enough come tomorrow.

It was still too early for dinner after all the training, so Anna and I relaxed in the common room, reading side by side. It was the most relaxed I had been in days. For once, I didn't have to think about Jack, my missing sister, or the upcoming battle. I could just lose myself in a good book - like the old days.

I was so engrossed in my novel that I didn't even notice Melody until she had seated herself next to me. I jumped slightly, closing my book as my former handmaiden chuckled.

"Well, now that's a familiar sight. It's dinnertime," she told us dryly.

"I'm on it," Anna offered, leaping to her feet.

Melody turned her focus to me as the child hurried off. "Do you have a weapon and armor for tomorrow?" she asked.

"I have a sword and a few armor pieces, yes," I replied. I thought for a moment before taking a deep breath and asking a question that I had been struggling with for quite a while. "Melody...how do you kill someone?"

Melody shot me a surprised look. "Well," she said slowly, "you typically drive something sharp into their ribcage." She grinned wolfishly at me.

"You know what I mean," I retorted, rolling my eyes at the morbid joke. "How do you bring yourself to do it? How do you live with yourself afterward?"

Melody sighed, reaching over and grabbing my book. "It's not something you can learn about from one of these, I'll tell you that." Her joking expression traded places with a far more serious one. "When I first killed a man," she murmured, staring into memories I could not see, "I didn't sleep for days after."

"That's comforting," I muttered, rubbing my temples. If killing a stranger had done that to someone as tough as Melody, what would killing my own brother do to me?

"You don't understand," Melody said softly. "I was robbing a store when...it happened. This was before the Phoenix People - I was only a child. And I never intended to kill him. I shoved him out of my way as I was escaping. He fell...hit his head...didn't get back up again." Melody shook her head slightly as if shaking something off. She looked at me gravely. "There is a huge difference between accidentally killing an innocent man and willfully killing a dangerous person, Alexia. Hopefully, you will never have to experience both."

I nodded, processing her words. I tried to imagine the guilt of a child, thief or no, who had seen blood spilled by her hands.

Anna placed a plate carefully in front of me, breaking me out of my sobering thoughts. "Dinner!" she announced cheerily, oblivious to the dark mood that both Melody and I were in.

Theo and Griffin entered the room then, and Theo joined us while his beau grabbed them food. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned, as he glanced between Melody and me.

"Fine," Melody replied tightly. I nodded quickly.

Theo shrugged. I began to eat, every bite lifting my spirits.

We ate in silence except for the occasional comment about the food or tomorrow's preparations.

Finally, we had all finished our meals. Melody was the first to stand, stretching her arms above her head.

"Goodnight," she told us, pausing and taking a long look at each of us in turn. It took me a moment to realize what she was doing - memorizing our faces. After all, this could be the last time we were all together.

"Goodnight," we all muttered in return.

Theo and Griffin were the next to leave. As they departed, Griffin slung an arm around Theo's shoulders, pressing a kiss to his temple. I smiled at the sweet scene, glad that they could take solace in one another.