COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 20: The Art of War (Part 3/5)

          Vera stared at the dancing flames in her palm, a faint flicker to barely light her position. She'd grown restless waiting for Cinder to return, passing the minutes with a small twig she was using to draw cats in the dirt. 

          Hide and seek was certainly boring when you were too good at it.

           She breathed out a heavy sigh, listening to the seldom drips of the leaking architecture, a faint whistle sometimes rising when the breeze picked up. No scrapes or shuffles. No gasps or breathing. 

           Not even a distant scream.

          It was boring.

          She closed her eyes, thinking through her plan once more. It would inevitably go awry, but failure was seldom the same thing when she played her pieces right.

          Vera felt a brush of warmth, the air tingling with a welcoming presence Cinder always brought. As she cracked open her eyes it was no surprise that her guardian had returned, only  with a grey and sulking feline to follow her into the dugout. 

          Perfect.

          With a small stretch she locked gazes with Káel's cat, a devious grin stretching at her lips as the feline fell perfectly into her plan. "Hey Jay, you look like a real piece of work if someone tries to give you a run. Want to protect the flag while me and Cinder actually win this for your dullheaded owner?"

          She saw the cat perk up in a way, his frosty blue eyes twinkling in Cinder's flickering light with an extra dash of amusement. Cat or human Vera knew the look all too well, Jeremiah didn't hold a shred of respect for Káel.

          "It's settled then," she said, getting to her feet and awkwardly hugging the sides of the already cramped space so she wouldn't ruin her art. When she'd pulled herself out of the cage, she gave the cracked hall a quick skim, heaving at a slab of stone to cover the entrance spare a crack just thick enough for the feline guard to slip out. 

          She held her dimming light to the crack, paying the smirking cat below a devious grin as they reveled in the essence of one another's pooling mischief. Although Káel hadn't the foggiest clue as to who she was, Vera had caught the look of recognition from a number of other acquaintances, but Jeremiah was the only one that had worn a face of welcome at the sight of her.

          "Sit tight kitty, we're winning this one."

          With a meow in response Vera waved the cat farewell, the halo of light dying as Cinder burrowed into her jacket. She didn't need the light of her guardian to see however, even in the darkest of rooms all that lay to stand in her way was lit like a target. Navigating out of the building was easy, and her plan even easier.

          She just had to make sure she was alone.

          Vera finally reached a kiss of starlight, squeezing out the closest window to land herself in broad view, the cathedral's empty field of rubble and dried grass stretched before her like a forgotten graveyard. She waited for a couple more seconds, silence strong upon her shoulders as she scoured every path before her.

          But nothing moved.

          "Okay Cinder," Vera whispered, pulling her guardian out to rest in her palms. "Lead the way."

           Cinder chirped, obediently spreading her wings to lift to the skies a few feet above, the small phoenix kiting Vera with one destination in mind.