Diabolus: The Lost Phoenix

Chapter Seventeen

AVERY BELLAND

"It's... It's you..."

I feel my feet melting as I look at her, exactly the same as she looked like in my dreams. Sometimes I just tried to convince myself that she isn't real, that those dreams are only my imagination... but once again, I've proven myself that my dreams are never just my imagination.

And the weirdest part... it seems like she knows me.

"We really don't have much time. Let's go, Avery, please?"

"How do you know who I am?"

From hurrying, impatient person she suddenly becomes frozen, like the time has stopped after she heard my question. Her eyes lock with mine, and as much as widened they are I can clearly see that she feels very confused.

"What do you mean? Don't you know who I am?"

"No..."

Her eyes become as immobile as the rest of her face, as if news like that were impossible to absorb any faster. She froze for maybe three whole seconds, before the corners of her mouth resumed the softness I saw in my dreams and her eyes quit staring. There's just something about her. Something so warm, so kind; that when I don't even know who she is, what is her name... something inside me tells me I can trust her.

"Who are you?"

"Um... my name is Beverly. Let's get you out of here."

"Why? Because of the Phoenix?"

"I don't care about that fairytale, Avery. I want to get you out of here safe, to give you your freedom back."

With every answer she gives me I feel more and more confused about what's going on. The feeling that I can trust her completely is turning my body into a fireplace, different feelings and emotions are burning inside of me and I know I can't move my legs out of here, not until I'll get some answers.

"But why?"

"Can I tell you the reasons on our way out of here? Please?"

I take a glance at Maileen who squeezes my hand even harder; both of our dream was to get out of here. Finally run away from Caden, from the nightmare we were living in for half of our lives. And even if I didn't trust Beverly... what could be worse than being Yellow Eye's prisoner?

Even death isn't as bad as being his slave. His whore.

"Maileen..."

"Let's go."

I turn back to Beverly and the girl with red hair, both looking at us with hope in their eyes. Beverly slowly lifts her hand towards me, offering her palm, her trust, her friendship. I don't need to see a vision to know that. I can see that in her eyes.

With no other hesitation I grab on her arm and we all run out of the room, into the hallway, full of dead bodies. Dead Caden's men. But the fear is still in my stomach, thinking what will happen when he comes back and sees that his home is now soaked in blood, and the only way to find the Phoenix is now free.

But there's still a chance to find it. If Daryl agrees to sell him the item... no one knows what will happen then.

"Bev, look out!"

I didn't had the chance to inhale or exhale when Beverly grabs my and Maileen's hair, pulling us both to the ground and jumping on us with her whole body. My first thought was a doubt that she's trying to save us... until the gunshots start to come right above our heads; and if we were standing, we would probably be dead.

"Oh my God..."

"Beverly?"

Although the gunshots are still coming and Beverly is still holding us with her body, protecting us like a shield; I manage to turn to her and her eyes become softer, like the time has stopped for us. God, I have so many questions. So many answers I have to get about what's happening in here. But I know that first we have to get out of here.