The Phoenix People

Chapter Sixty-Three

We took the familiar path to Harmony's shop. The council stopped us at the doors leading to the chamber that little Dove had once guarded, now vacant and eerie. Turning to us, A announced, "We will take ten people above at a time. We have already separated you into teams."

Already, a couple of the council members were moving among us, picking out ten of us. Melody, Anna, and I were all passed by.

We waited as a council member - I was fairly certain it was L - led the ten chosen ones into the chamber. We stood in tense silence for roughly ten minutes before ten more were chosen. My friends and I shifted awkwardly as this new group disappeared into the chamber with two council members - we were the last people to be chosen, and were by far the smallest group. The remaining council members stood impassively before us.

Finally, A sighed and stepped forward. Her voice had dropped its air of formality. "Okay. We're going to go aboveground now." With this proclamation, the remnants of the council led us into the chamber and beyond.

*

There was a wagon pulling quickly away from Harmony's store when we arrived. The woman herself rushed over to us, her hands fluttering nervously by her sides.

"The third wagon is late," she blurted, eyes flickering with worry.

"It's fine, Harmony," A said gently. "Please take the back exit from your store now. Go to a safe location and remain there until you receive news."

Harmony nodded. Her gaze fell on her daughter and she pulled Melody into a tight hug, whispering a few private words. When she pulled away, they were both blinking back tears. Harmony patted my and Anna's shoulders before glancing around her shop sadly and taking her leave.

Just as she did so, a wagon pulled to a stop in front of the store, being driven by a man who gestured furiously for us to get in. We hurried outside and into the cart as fast as possible.

There were no benches. Instead, Anna, Melody, and I followed A's lead as she sat cross-legged on the wooden floor. Within seconds of our entrance, the wagon started rolling.

I noticed Melody peering out of a gap in the tarp covering the back, watching her mother's shop fade away. "We were nothing before the Phoenix People," she said softly. "Nothing." She squeezed her eyes shut as I reached out and patted her knee comfortingly.

The Phoenix People had given us everything. And now, it was time to give everything back to them.

The cart rattled onward, its passengers trapped in a bubble of solemn silence.

*

The castle was even grander than I remembered. Having lived in less than luxurious abodes for the past few weeks, I now found myself greatly appreciating the swooping turrets and emerald lawns.

I was watching our journey's progress through a tear in the wagon's canvas side. We were moving agonizingly slow, leading me to believe that we were in a sluggish line of traffic.

My blood was buzzing with adrenaline. Over and over, I imagined driving a sword through Audric, imagined standing over his corpse.

I was trying to prepare myself. It wasn't working.

A shadow flitted over us, throwing us into brief darkness, signaling that we had passed through the castle's inner wall.

We all flinched when Anna's father rose unexpectedly, most of all Anna herself, as she had been leaning against him. My stomach grumbled and I clapped a hand over it as if that could silence it.

The head mage snapped his fingers and suddenly, I was no longer hungry. From the looks on my friends' faces, they, too, had been "fed."

Anna's father closed his eyes, concentrating. There was suddenly a sharp sound from outside and we all tensed.

The head mage's eyes shot open and he nodded to the council. They stood and filed out of the wagon calmly. The driver jumped down from his seat. With only a moment of hesitation, Melody, Anna, and I followed.

Once outside, I saw what had caused the sound - the inner gate was closing, much to the dismay of the soldiers guarding it. We were trapped inside the castle.

But so was Audric.

"Genius," Melody breathed. Anna glanced proudly up at her father.

I unsheathed my sword, fingers tingling. The others quickly followed suit with their weapons of choice.

Screams arose from the palace workers and noblemen at the sight. Immediately, I felt sick to my stomach. These were scared, innocent people, many of them Lowborns - were we to mercilessly slaughter them?

"Stun them!" one of the council members shouted, and everyone broke away from me, finding a target. I was left standing awkwardly by the empty wagon, my sword held in a white-knuckled grip.

The crowd around us dispersed as quickly as possible, the terrified palace residents scurrying in every direction. I wasn't sure what to do - let them go or pursue them? As I watched my friends give chase, however, I sprung into action.

My gaze landed on a maid who had dropped her laundry basket and was making a valiant effort to catch the garments before they blew away in the wind. Heart twinging with guilt, I snuck up behind her and drove the handle of my sword into her head. She crumpled to the ground.

Murmurings were starting up from the brave souls who had paused to watch the attack amidst the chaos. "Princess Alexia?" one man asked uncertainly.

I walked over to him, lowering my sword as though I meant him no harm. "Don't you know the proper respect to pay your princess?" I asked imperiously.

Uncertainly, the Highborn dropped to his knees. I jammed my sword's hilt on the top of his head and he fell. The other hesitators scattered.

I moved among Lowborns and Highborns alike, knocking out everyone I passed. It was much easier than I had imagined, but that didn't make me feel any better about it. I was hurting my subjects, people who trusted and respected me.

Quite before I knew what had happened, the courtyard was empty. The council, my friends, and I stood, chests heaving as we surveyed the crumpled forms around us.

"So many escaped," I finally murmured. "What was the point of this?"

"Our soldiers are surrounding the castle," A informed me. "They'll handle the runners. Now come on. That was the easy part."