Phoenix Read online

  She leaned into him when he wrapped his arms around her. “Hello, love. All is well?”

  “It is. There was a little trouble with one of our outposts, but the Fighters were able to neutralize the problem.”

  “That’s good,” she replied, but her voice was distant. She wasn’t really there, and he knew why.

  “How’s our girl?”

  She smiled and turned to face him. “She’s adjusting well, surprisingly.” Tears filled her eyes, and he cupped her face.

  “Annabelle, what’s wrong?”

  “They were awful to her, Greg, so incredibly awful. The marks on her back…” She covered her face with her hands, and the tears she’d fought so hard to hold back came out in a rush.

  “I know, my love.” He clenched his jaw. “But she is here now, and if she chooses to stay, we will make sure she has the life that she deserves, the one she should have had from the beginning.”

  “What do you mean if she chooses to stay?”

  He sighed and released her. “I told her that if she wants to go home, I will create another portal vial to take her there.”

  “You would let her leave? After we’ve spent all these years searching for her?”

  Gregory pinched the bridge of his nose. “She has family there, Annabelle. A man she spent time with. We’ve plucked her from the only place she’s ever known and thrust her into the middle of a war. She deserves the option. Vincent will—” He stopped mid-sentence, and Annabelle put her head on his arm.

  “It was good of you to give her the choice.”

  He nodded. “Vincent came to me today.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He projected himself into my mind while we were on our way back.”

  “What did he want?”

  “To threaten me.”

  “What more could he do to us?”

  “He threatened to kill her if I train her.”

  “We can protect her, my love.” She leaned into him again, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  “But for how long?” he asked. “You remember what the seer said. How are we supposed to protect her from her destiny?”

  “We train her. We make sure that she is prepared for what she is going to have to face. You will train her to physically protect herself, and I will teach her what I know of herbs. We can prepare her,” she assured him.

  “How do we tell her who she is?”

  “We don’t, at least not at first. I think it would be a little much for her to take in at the moment. We need to let her decide whether she wants to stay or not. If she chooses to go…” Annabelle sighed. “I guess she’ll never know.”

  He nodded in agreement.

  “She is beautiful, isn’t she?” Annabelle asked, looking up at him.

  “She is. But I always knew she would be.” He grinned down at her.

  “Oh, really? And how’s that?” Annabelle asked playfully.

  “Because her mother is the most beautiful woman in all the worlds.” He kissed her deeply.

  This was the first night in twenty years that his entire family was under one roof, and he would do anything necessary to keep it that way.

  15

  Seattle

  Dakota

  Dakota stepped into his empty apartment. Sadness cloaked him like a blanket as he looked around the space he’d shared with his best friend for nearly three years.

  There were still no leads on Ana’s disappearance, and he knew without being told that the police were giving up. Quitting after only three days. He blamed himself; if he’d just skipped class that morning, stayed home like he’d wanted to, none of this would have happened. He could have protected her from whoever showed up.

  No, not whoever. He could have protected her from Mitch. No matter what anyone said, his gut told him that bastard did something to Ana.

  His phone rang, and he checked the ID. Shit. He thought he’d have more time before having to face this.

  “Hello?”

  “Why did I hear from your mother that you dropped out of college today?”

  “Probably because I did.”

  “What the hell, Dakota!”

  “You don’t need a college degree to join the police force here in Seattle.”

  “And since when is that the plan? You were going to be a doctor, Dakota! A fucking doctor!”

  “Doctors don’t find missing persons, do they?”

  “I told you I would do everything I could to bring her home.”

  “And I told you so would I.”

  “Do you honestly believe that becoming a cop is going to lead to her?”

  “Maybe not, but if I can put assholes like Mitch away, then it’s more than worth it.”

  “So that’s what this is? You’re pissed off because he’s getting off.”

  “Hell yeah I am. This is bullshit, and you know it!”

  His father was silent for a moment and then let out a breath. “Fine. You want to throw your future away, then so be it.”

  His father ended the call, and Dakota fought the urge to throw his phone against the wall.

  He really didn’t care how pissed off his dad was; this was what he wanted to do and no one was going to stop him.

  Dakota made his way to her bedroom and took a deep breath before flipping the light switch. Her bed was still unmade, her backpack slung over the back of her desk chair. He took a seat on the pale purple quilt and imagined her here, in her space, smiling and sharing the stories of her day with him.

  They’d been inseparable for their entire lives. What the hell was he supposed to do without her?

  Mitch had informed him that since Ana lived with him, it was his responsibility to take care of her belongings. He’d told Dakota that seeing her things would be too painful for Monica. As if either of them actually gave a shit about Ana.

  It didn’t matter, though, because she was going to come home.

  Ana was out there somewhere, and he was going to find her.

  16

  Terrenia: Three months later

  Gregory

  “Maximus, you have to stop underestimating her. She’s quick.” Gregory laughed as Anastasia threw Maximus to the ground yet again.

  “She caught me off guard,” Maximus whined, jumping back to his feet.

  “Use the lesson; don’t make excuses.”

  Anastasia dodged Maximus’s fist and then absorbed the contact of his other one in her gut. She doubled over and laughed breathlessly.

  “That was a good one,” she said, but he ignored the compliment as he usually did.

  She straightened and got back into the fight, managing to knock him to the ground with a right hook and a kick to his gut. Afterwards, she reached her hand down to pull him to his feet, but he slapped it away and stood on his own.

  “I don’t need your help.”

  “Fine.”

  “All right, that’s enough for today.” Gregory walked toward them and patted them both on the shoulders. “You two are coming along nicely. Shake hands.”

  They did, and without a word, Maximus headed back to the village.

  “Way to go, Anastasia!” An excited Brady came running toward her with his hand outstretched, ready for a high five.

  “Thanks, Brady.” She smiled and, together, the three of them headed back toward the village.

  “Man, you were awesome! You are only half his size, but you were all bam bam bam!”

  She laughed at his excitement and the way he mocked throwing punches. He’d become the little brother she never had. She ruffled his hair. “Maybe someday soon you’ll be big enough to spar with me.” She put her fists up, and he laughed.

  “I’ll totally win!”

  “I bet you will,” Gregory said on a laugh. He swallowed hard and watched Anastasia mimic fighting with Brady. He and Annabelle had made the decision to tell her the truth about their connection to her tonight, and while his wife was more than excited, he found nervous was a more applicable word to how he was feeling.r />
  What if Anastasia was disappointed? Or angry that he hadn’t come for her sooner?

  “Gregory!” Tony ran toward them with half a dozen fighters on his heels. Anastasia immediately scanned the woods around them and pulled Brady in close.

  “What is it?”

  “We’ve got trouble. About three-dozen Brutes are headed this way, approaching from the north side.”

  “Anastasia, take Brady back to his house, and then immediately head back to ours.”

  “But I can help—”

  “Not yet, Anastasia. Eventually, yes. But you are not yet adept enough with a sword, and I cannot risk your safety. Please, get back to the house and warn Annabelle.”

  17

  Anastasia

  Anastasia thought about arguing with Gregory but knew it would do no good, and it would only delay him from getting where he needed to be.

  She nodded gripped Brady’s hand, then turned and ran at a sprint to the village.

  When she entered the clearing, she could tell that the alert had already been issued. No one was out in the open, and even those who had been working on building a fence around the town were gone.

  She knew that the Fighters must have already headed toward the north side, and she quickly ran toward Brady’s house.

  “Do you think they’ll get in?” he asked.

  “It’ll be fine, Brady. You know we have the toughest men in the world on our side. They will take care of it and still be back in time for dinner. You’ll see.” She smiled and knocked on the door to his house.

  “Oh, thank God.” Brady’s mother, Serena, answered the door and pulled her son inside.

  “Thank you, Anastasia. Won't you come in? We are headed for the cellar.”

  “No, thank you. I'm going to head to my house. You guys get inside and stay safe.”

  “We will.” She shut the door quickly, and Anastasia ran home.

  As soon as the small cottage came into view, she knew something was wrong. The door was ajar, and Annabelle never left it open.

  She crept through the door and behind a counter in the kitchen. After a quick peek around the side, Anastasia saw that Annabelle was on her knees between two massive Brutes, and a man in a robe stood before her.

  The man from the worst of her nightmares. Bodies. Destruction. Death.

  Anastasia’s blood iced, and her vision wavered slightly as a flash of panic took over.

  Calm down, Anastasia. After taking a deep breath, she leaned back around to get another look.

  “Where is she, Annabelle?” the man asked.

  “Who?” Annabelle responded softly. Anastasia could hear the fear in her shaky voice as Annabelle tried to keep it steady.

  A loud crack filled the room as the man slammed his fist into Annabelle’s cheek. Anastasia grabbed the dagger from her waist and felt its now familiar weight in her palm.

  “You will tell me where she is. Don’t be stupid,” the man said.

  “I will never tell you where she is.”

  “Then you will die.”

  “No!” Anastasia swallowed her fear and leaped over the counter with her knife. The man smiled at her, and Anastasia ground her teeth together.

  “Anastasia. You shouldn’t have come.” Annabelle smiled softly.

  The man drove the knife into Annabelle’s chest, and Anastasia screamed, lunging for him. One of the man’s Brutes charged her. It was at least eight feet tall, but she threw all of her body weight into her attack, which seemed to stun the creature just enough that she was able to slice her knife across the beast’s throat. It fell, and the other beast howled with rage just before charging her. She was caught off guard, and thrown back against the counter.

  “Well, aren’t you something,” the robed man said as he stood back and watched her fend off the second Brute’s attack. She did her best to fight as she’d been trained, but it slammed her down, and her vision blurred.

  “I know you,” Anastasia growled when the robed man knelt beside her. She still couldn’t see his face, but the sound of his voice was forever branded into her memory from the nightmares.

  “Yes, you do,” he confirmed, using a finger to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. “This could have been avoided; if only your father had done what he was supposed to do,” the robed man whispered.

  Anastasia saw the glint of a blade just before the Brute slammed it down toward her; she screamed and used as much strength as she could to hold his arm back. Her arms shook with fatigue as she tried to keep the blade from its target. The blade bit into her skin, and she cried out. The room filled with light, and the beast’s weight was lifted from her as he was tossed to the other side of the room.

  “Yes!” The cloaked man clapped his hands in delight, and Anastasia stared down at her own in shock.

  Had she just done that?

  Weight slammed into her again, and Anastasia rolled across the room. Dazed, she looked up just in time to see the door fling open.

  “Anastasia!” Gregory yelled as he and four bloodied Fighters charged the cabin.

  She watched helplessly as the robed man faded away and Gregory ran toward her.

  “Anastasia, where are you hurt?” He searched her for any wounds.

  “Gregory, I’m so sorry,” she cried, the tears streaming down her face. “I tried to save her.” The color drained from his face. He turned slowly to face the crumpled body that lay in the center of the living area.

  “Oh no.” He rushed to Annabelle and fell to his knees. “Oh no, oh God, please no,” he cried as he cradled her in his arms.

  “I tried, I swear I tried,” Anastasia cried.

  Tony knelt beside her. “Hush, child. You were very brave. It’s not your fault.” His eyes shone with unshed tears, and he pulled Anastasia into his arms.

  How had everything gone so wrong? It seemed as if she had finally gotten lucky in her life, finally found her place, and then it was ripped apart. Was she doomed to live a life of horror? Of pain? What had she done to deserve this?

  Anastasia lay curled in bed, teetering on the edge of sleep, courtesy of a healing potion she was given.

  They’d sat on the kitchen floor for hours after the Fighters gathered Annabelle’s body and took it away. Gregory hadn’t said a single word, and she feared he blamed her for not being able to protect his wife. She should have been able to. She certainly blamed herself. Had she worked harder when he trained her, she might have stood a chance. But instead, she failed, and Annabelle died.

  “Tell me where she is.” The man was there looking for her, she was sure of it. Even if he hadn’t had a starring role in her nightmares her entire life, she would have known he was there for her.

  Not that it mattered now; she was going to kill him one day. Despite the exhaustion, she balled her hands into fists.

  She was going to get revenge for Annabelle’s death and for the pain Gregory would now live with. She would kill that robed man and every single Brute she could get her hands on. Even if she lost her own life in the process.

  18

  Seattle

  Dakota

  Dakota stared out at the Seattle skyline. Never had he seen a city so beautiful at night, and yet it all seemed so empty to him. Then again, everything was empty since Anastasia’s disappearance. Ever since that day three months ago, things only continued to get worse.

  His father’s death just topped it all off.

  He looked down at the soda in his hand, then back into the house, where the rest of the partygoers were enjoying the night as if there wasn’t a thing wrong in the world.

  “Is that Dakota I see out there? Dakota Parker?” The voice was slurred, but he would have recognized it anywhere.

  “Gage.” He turned to face the son of his dad’s old partner.

  “Well, how ya doing, boy?” Gage asked as he headed toward the balcony.

  “Better than you are at the moment, I suppose.”

  “What do ya mean? I'm great.” He grinned, and Dakota’s stomac
h churned at the pungent smell of the liquor in his breath. He took a step back to put some distance between them.

  “Listen.” Gage inched closer to Dakota again, and he tried to slide away. “I'm sorry about your dad.”

  Dakota clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to talk about this. Especially not now with Gage.

  “What happened to his dad?” asked one of the other intoxicated partygoers who had wandered out onto the balcony.

  “He died. Was killed in an alley behind old Mal’s Diner two weeks ago.” He held his cup up, and Dakota had to remind himself that Gage was drunk.

  “Man, that’s rough.”

  “Yeah, it was.” Dakota began backing toward the door. “I’ve got to go now.”

  “It’s a shame they never found that chick.”

  Dakota closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Her name is Ana,” he said without turning around.

  “Whatever. You knew who I was talking about.”

  “Who’s the chick?” the same drunk asshole asked.

  “Dude, she was this really hot chick who lived next to Dakota growing up. They used to be roomies, too.”

  “Stop it, Gage,” Dakota warned.

  “One day she went missing and our”—he took another drink from his cup—“dads were put on the case!” he said it as if it were some achievement of his own, as if Dakota’s entire life hadn’t fallen apart that night. “Anyway, her dad said she ran away, and this guy’s dad didn’t believe him, so blah, blah, blah, you know the end.”

  Dakota clenched his fists at his side and did his best to control the anger that rose in his chest.

  “You ever bang her, dude?” Gage asked. “I mean, you guys lived together for what? A year?”

  “Are you serious?” Dakota spun and grabbed Gage by the throat. “Who the fuck are you to come here and start spreading my life out like that? Not to mention disrespecting my father as well as my best friend, who by the way is probably dead. Who the fuck are you?” he repeated. “You haven’t done a damn thing with your life other than live off mommy and daddy’s dime. So, do us all a favor.” He knocked the cup from Gage’s hand. “Sober up and stop acting like an entitled asshole.” He threw Gage back and stalked out the door, ignoring all of the ‘boos’ that followed.