The Phoenix's Fire

Chapter 11

Hex:

I felt the cold long before the pain. My head felt like a soccer ball getting passed back and forth. I couldn't remember anything. Does that mean everything was just a dream? Was the love I felt a dream? Was the dream over, and I'm now back in reality? Or was that reality and this a dream?

My head hurt.

Am I back in that cell? Was I ever out of that cell?

I tried to move, but it hurt too much. Hell. This was Hell. Not a hot, fiery hell but cold and dark where none of my friends would ever go.

Did I ever even have friends?

I pushed the pain to the back of my mind. And I remember Sain.

Was he just a dream?

The pain was back. I willed with all my strength to open my eyes. Only one eye opened. One wouldn't open, or wasn't there. I reached up to feel, and swallowed the terror down. One eye. I have only one eye.

Did I never leave? They threatened to take the eye, so did they? Or someone else? Was it truly all just a dream?

I looked, with my one left eye, around. I saw only darkness before I had to close it. The pounding in my head lessoned enough for thought.

I had determined one thing: Sain was real. I could still feel him on my skin. Therefore, so were Core and Aku and Avol and everyone else was real. Bouncing energetic Coin. Cool, distant Zace. The odd triplets, that let no one get close. I rifled through the most recent memories.

Were these my memories? Or dreams? Dilutions that I made up?

No, they had to be real. We were at a ball. Sain and I had left at a reasonable time so Avol wouldn't be mad. We were slowly making our way down the hallway to my room. Then nothing. I couldn't remember. Was Sain alright? Had whoever taken him... I swallowed down my dry throat... did they kill Sain?

Crash.

"Watch what you're doing." Hissed a voice.

The was a softer, "Yes, ma'am."

My head throbbed. I thought I knew the softer voice, but the pain kept anything from registering.

Maybe I never did leave that place. That 'home', that locked, cold room. They only kept me alive so they didn't have to hide my body. I pushed the memories of my childhood away. But they did not leave.

I had escaped. I told myself. Ran eight hundred miles, crossed kingdom borders, and changed everything about the old me. Got the training I needed. Got the friends I wanted. Lived a life with joy and love and had a home.

"You're up." Said that snarling voice, "Good."

I cracked my only eye open to see a tall, red headed woman with crazed, velvet eyes. Next to her stood a dejected looking, Sabrena. A red handprint was visible on her cheek.

"Sabrena," I wheezed out, "Why?"

Sabrena backed up from whatever made me able to see them.

The other woman snarled, kicking me in the gut to shut me up. I didn't make a single sound. Torture would never work on me. With sixteen years of torture, whatever they think they can do will be a bee sting. But back than they didn't want me dead.

"Now," The woman hissed, "It seems unfair that I know your name and you don't know mine, Hex." I just stared up at her. She just curled her lip, "My name is Utha. I'm Exerset's wife."