Phoenix’s Fire (The Ruins Of Men #2)

Chapter 45

Forty-Five

Kanik

I t was a somber walk back. The dead were carried by their friends, tucked in the middle of the rest of the militia, but as we entered the city walls, curtains were pushed aside. Lit from behind, they were easy to see. A few came outside to watch the procession, but Zasen wouldn't let us stop until we reached the city stage.

Then the bells began tolling, announcing our return to the entire town.

It didn't take long before loved ones and family members came to meet us. Quickly, a crowd was growing. By the time Zasen directed the deceased to be laid out on the stage, a hush had fallen over everyone.

"I need to tell the families," Zasen said. "Kanik, you and Ayla fill Rymar in, okay?"

"Promise," I assured him, reaching up to clasp his arm. "Remind their families that they're heroes."

"And still gone," he said, turning away.

"He tells them?" Ayla asked, looking up at me.

"Yeah," I said, angling her away from the stage as I searched for Rymar's bright skin. "He feels responsible for everyone in the militia. It was his plan, so he feels like it's his fault."

"But it was my plan," she said.

"And it's not your fault either ," I told her. "This is on the Moles."

"Kanik!" Rymar called, making me turn in the opposite direction. "Ayla!"

"Rymar!" she called out, thrusting a hand into the air.

I was a little impressed at that. In the last few weeks, Ayla had stopped worrying so much about being polite and proper. She'd realized that loud and proud worked much better with us. Thankfully, Rymar heard her .

Pushing through people, he didn't stop until he slammed into me, hugging me hard. "Are you okay?" Then he looked at Ayla. "You? Zasen?" That had his eyes jump back to me.

"We lost four," Ayla told him.

"Three were carried back," I clarified. "They took one. Ermial."

"Fuck," Rymar breathed. "But just one?"

"Just one," I assured him, adding, "thanks to a Mole."

"What?!" he snapped.

"Ayla and Zasen had a pair sneak up on them. Turns out one of them was sent by her friend. The way Zasen tells it, the good guy shot the other."

"Holly hit Malcus before he could shoot anyway," Ayla said. "I didn't even know Tobias shot at him. I just heard it and hit the ground."

"Wait, what?" Rymar demanded.

"We flanked the Moles," she explained, "and two of them flanked us. Zasen and I heard them at the same time."

"And what if that man hadn't been your friend?" Rymar demanded. "Is he your friend?"

"It sounds like he's Callah's friend," she said. "But it was okay."

He huffed and turned to me. "Really?"

"They had twice as many as normal, and when we surprised them, the Moles formed up like an army." I made a curve with my hand, demonstrating what had happened. "That put all of us on the wrong side of the guns, but Ayla dropped some in the middle and Zasen took off, keeping his tail high so they'd see it."

"Drawing their fire," Rymar grumbled. "Fucking idiot. And he had her with him?"

"He outpaced her a bit," I explained, but Ayla was gaping at me.

"He told me to stay behind him!"

"Sounds like you were," Rymar pointed out.

I laughed at that, because he wasn't wrong. "Well, I took my team to the left, Drozel's went right, and a few went around with Zasen and Ayla. Lansin and Omden, I know, but I swore I saw a few tailless as well."

"It was crazy," Ayla said. "The bullets made the trees explode, so I was running and ducking, trying to shoot some of them."

Rymar just nodded, then paused. Holding up a finger he called out, "Lansin! Hey, don't leave yet? I need a word in a minute?"

"No problem," Lansin called back.

"Is Jerlis making an announcement tonight?" I asked when he turned back to me.

"Probably," Rymar admitted. "Why?"

"I need to talk to him first," Ayla said.

Rymar nodded to show he heard, but I said, "Because her friend is good news. Callah sent this guy, and according to Zasen, he's going to get us intel. A hunter, Rymar. "

"And I need to talk to him," Ayla said again.

Rymar nodded. "Okay. Kanik, I'll send him around behind the stage. You take Ayla that way." Then he sighed. "I have to make sure Ermial’s family knows."

"Zasen's already doing that," Ayla assured him.

"I need to as well," he said, offering her a weak smile. "And I'm glad you made it back okay, Ayla. I hated being here, not sure what was happening, and not knowing if any of you were coming back."

Ayla scrunched her face up, thinking hard, then she did the last thing I would've expected. She stepped into Rymar, pressing her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around his back to hug him hard.

"It makes it better," she explained.

His hands hung in the air for a moment before he realized what was happening. Then, gently, he pulled her in close and hugged back. One hand reached up to slide against her upper back, but his eyes turned to me.

"Yeah, I needed that," he breathed, flicking his eyes at her as if asking, "Is this normal now?"

I shrugged, but I wasn't about to discourage her. Clearly, neither was he. So after a moment, I touched her arm lightly.

"Let him go, Ayla. We're not done yet."

"Right. I need to tell Jerlis about Tobias," she said.

"This way." I led her to the side.

Rymar headed the other way. Around us, more and more people were gathering. I wasn't sure what time it was, but it couldn't be too late. Probably not even midnight, so the bells probably had everyone who knew a militia member headed this way.

"Okay," I warned, "you need to know Jerlis doesn't understand fighting, Ayla. A lot of what happened tonight he won't understand."

"I know." She gave me a reassuring smile.

"And he probably hasn't talked to Zasen yet," I reminded her.

She nodded but kept walking. I honestly didn't know if Zasen had asked her to do something, or if this was all her. The truth was, it could be either, and the fact that she was taking things upon herself like this? I was pretty sure that was even more impressive than her new fondness for hugging.

But when we reached the back of the stage, the mayor wasn't there. From the north, small groups were walking this way. Some quickly. None of them bothered to look at us. The sky was dark, but while we waited, someone thought to light the lanterns around the stage, making a warm glow.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Jerlis came around from the other side. Ayla noticed him before I did, turning at the sound of his steps.

"What was your sister's name?" she asked.

That made the giant of a man pause. "Ione?"

"Ione," she repeated, nodding to herself. "Your nephew's name is Tobias."

I felt my entire body rock at her words. "What?" I asked .

"Who?" Jerlis demanded.

Ayla moved so she could see us both. "The man Callah sent? His name is Tobias. He used to help me in the infirmary. He's big. Probably the largest man in the entire compound," she explained. "Everyone said he was dumb. I never thought about it, so I'd pick him to hold the hunters for me when I removed the arrows."

"What does this have to do with my sister?" Jerlis demanded.

"But I've known him for years," Ayla went on, undeterred. "Not once was he cruel to me. Mostly, he didn't say anything, but even when I yelled at him, he just accepted it and helped me do what was needed. I mean, the infirmary is the only place down there where women can do that."

"And?" Jerlis pressed.

"My friend, Callah? She sent me a message." Ayla reached into her pocket and pulled out a very old and fragile piece of paper. "Be careful, but open it. My mother drew that, Mr. Mayor."

"Okay?" he asked yet again. Then he paused as the paper unfolded. "This is Lorsa."

"Yes. I thought it was Heaven, so before I refused Mr. Morgan, I told Callah to keep that. I said to put it in the one place no one would find it. She did. Today, Tobias gave it to me. He said he's been helping Callah, and that's his proof she sent him. There's no way he could've taken it from her. He can't get into the library where she hid it, but he has it, so I believe him."

"Ayla, what does this have to do with his sister?" I asked.

She pulled in a breath and stood a little straighter. "Tobias's mother was in quarantine. He said that's why he's helping, and I didn't think about it, but Zasen asked her name." She lifted her hand slightly, as if she wanted to reach out and was stopping herself. "He said his mother was Ione."

The mayor's shoulders dropped. His tail hit the ground. It was as if every muscle in the man's entire body simply forgot what it was supposed to be doing as Ayla's words hit him.

"You should probably sit down," I said, rushing over to support him. "Just right on the dirt, Jerlis."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ayla breathed, supporting his other side as we both eased the man down. Then she dropped to a knee beside him. "Tobias said he's been trying to get out because his mother told him the Dragons would save him."

"Why didn't he leave?" Jerlis asked.

She placed her small, pale hand over his large red-and-black one. "No one goes above the ground without someone watching them. Someone who will kill them," she said gently. "Tonight, Tobias shot at his partner to save us. Zasen killed the partner first, but Tobias tried. He said he has to go back, because he doesn't know the code to get in. He wants to get my friend out. He went back to help us."

"She had a son?" Jerlis breathed.

"Yes," Ayla told him. "A son who reminds me a bit of you, actually. He's a good man, so I thought you should know. "

"And Ione?" he asked.

Ayla shook her head. "He said her name was Ione. Not is."

"She lived down there for years, and we didn't know?" he begged. "How did we not know?"

"The same way we women didn't," she soothed. "The Moles knew it was wrong, so they hid it. They're still hiding it, but I was thinking..."

"What?" I asked when her voice trailed off.

"Maybe Tobias can help us get the quarantined women out too."

Jerlis pulled in a deep breath and nodded. "And you're sure of him, Ayla?"

"Sure enough," she admitted. "I trust Callah. She must have trusted him to give him that picture. Down there, it could get her killed."

"You lost your sister," I told him, "but you just gained a nephew. A young man who is fighting back, even when he doesn't have to. A man she made that way."

"A part of her," Jerlis said. "Proof we're defeating them, even from the inside. Even in the next generation."

"Even when they won't see it coming," Ayla assured him. "He's coming back, Jerlis. We're going to get him out, and then you can meet him."

"And he's a good man?" Jerlis asked, clearly needing to hear it again.

Ayla smiled softly. "I never realized it, but I wasn't scared of him. I was terrified of all the men - but him. Tobias is almost as tall as Zasen, and stronger than any other man in the entire compound, but he was always kind and gentle with me. He wasn't just a good man. I think he was my favorite."

"Then when you see him again, tell him his uncle is damned proud of him." Then Jerlis pushed to his feet. "And I need to make sure the town knows our fight isn't done yet."

I made sure he was steady, then offered Ayla a hand up. Jerlis didn't wait for that, though. Clearly, he was now a man on a mission, but as he made his way back around to the crowd, I smoothed Ayla's hair back, checking to see how she was handling all of this.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She made a gesture at the blood staining her clothes. "This isn't mine."

"I mean mentally," I explained. "Emotionally, Ayla. You're one step closer to getting Callah out now."

"And Tobias," she said. "We need to save him too."

But I palmed the side of her face and made her look up at me. "And some of us are worried about you."

Her eyes jumped from one of mine to the other. "Kanik, I can fight. Not have to. Not am forced to. I know how to now, and you let me. I'm strong and safe. Meri's able to see a doctor. The men who tortured all of us? They're dying ." Slowly, her lips began to curl. "Okay isn't the right word. I'm not happy because people died today, but this?" She simultaneously shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know the name for it, but I can feel it."

"Progress," I told her.

"No. This is different," she insisted. "This feels like..." She looked down, creasing her brow as she thought. Suddenly, she sucked in a breath and looked back up at me. "I know the word."

"What?" I begged.

Ayla pulled in a breath and stood a little taller. "Confidence."

And in that moment, the woman before me looked exactly like the warrior she truly was.