Chapter 34 #2
I shifted my viewpoint, slightly, until I saw him. The Phoenix—a tall, slender male made of flesh and flames. His sharp, angular face was framed by high cheekbones, and his nose—it curved downward like the hooked beak of a bird.
The Phoenix laughed, the sound of it grating, cruel. “Your powers are weak in the desert, Ice Lord.” The Phoenix was right, but surely they would take him down, right? I had seen them, I had seen their bodies. I knew how much they trained, how fast they moved, how strong they were.
Aegir gave a slight nod to Eldric, and in the blink of an eye, reached for his axes, pulling them free.
He lunged for the Phoenix. The weight of the moment settled in my bones.
Aegir was about to strike. He brought both axes swinging down with the force of a thunderstorm.
The Phoenix met him head-on, his hands erupting into a firestorm that collided with Aegir’s misty metal.
The impact sent shock waves through the air, the sheer blast warping the space around us.
Sparks flew as Aegir’s axes cleaved through the fire in one precise movement.
His muscles strained against the relentless onslaught of flames.
They clashed again and again, fire against steel, strength against raw power.
Aegir moved unceasingly, his attacks unyielding, just as one would expect from a Fae predator. But the Phoenix was swift, quicker than I’d expected. He evaded every hit and blow. And whenever it seemed that one of them would hit home, the Phoenix would erupt, the weapons meeting nothing but flames.
Aegir formed ice daggers, using the water from the skins, and threw them at impressive speed.
The Phoenix simply let out a burst of flames, turning the ice spears into vapour.
I could see frustration building on Aegir’s face, exhaustion showing on Eldric’s as he grunted, holding the ice shield by himself.
Aegir lunged once more, his axes now shimmering in whitish blue.
He swung them both with brutal force, aimed for the Phoenix’s head.
The Phoenix blocked the blow but was forced to retreat one step.
Aegir did not hesitate; he kept them coming.
Sounds of sizzling thuds filled the air around us, just like the reeking smell that emanated from that evil bastard.
Aegir’s swings were unrelenting, causing the Phoenix’s focus to slip, his concentration to falter. The ring of fire flickered and wavered, the ice shield now overpowering.
Eldric must have been waiting for that exact opportunity, as without hesitation, he darted towards Sabi and the twins.
It always surprised me, the speed at which he moved despite his colossal stature.
He tore through the flames like a white blur, snatched the three of them in one swift motion, and sprinted away.
Not towards the school, though, no. He rushed them away from the building, away from other people.
The Phoenix blocked the next blow, then lunged for Aegir.
A sound, something in between a caw and a roar, came from the Phoenix as fire shot out of his palms. Aegir blocked the blast with his crossed axes—bright white against fiery red.
If he wasn’t a Fae from Silch, I was sure the blast would have obliterated his body.
Aegir strained and pushed against the flames.
He finally ripped through them and went for a blow to the head, but the Phoenix was one step ahead. He countered swiftly, sending one of Aegir’s axes flying. A thud struck nearby, and I saw the axe lying a few feet away from me—it throbbed, calling to me.
Aegir regained his balance and went for another strike.
And another. But the Phoenix negated each blow.
Blazing-hot flames shot out of his arms like frenzied bats scurrying out of a dark cave.
Aegir shielded against the flames, but the sheer force of it sent him tumbling backwards, his back sliding against the grainy terrain.
Aegir was still lying on his back when I watched the Phoenix raise both of his arms, fire replacing flesh once more.
“I’m honoured to be the one to end you, Prince. ”
I believed him. I believed he would kill him with his next blow.
A blast of adrenaline gushed through me, and I darted towards the fallen axe, grabbing it with both hands by its handle.
I could feel the weight of it—it was heavier than the one I had trained with, colder, too, but the rush of warm blood through my body gave me enough strength to throw it at the Phoenix’s back.
The axe left my hands, rotating end over end.
I hadn’t realised that I was holding my breath until the axe hit its mark.
Well, not exactly—I aimed for his back, the axe lodged in his calf.
The Phoenix fell on one knee. A pained yelp followed by furious grunts came from him.
I was surprised to notice amber blood trickling down the Phoenix’s leg, dripping on the sandy ground.
I rushed towards Aegir.
“No,” he rasped, crawling towards me. I placed myself between Aegir and the Phoenix, dagger clenched in hand, desperate to protect him somehow.
“You little bitch,” the Phoenix choked out. His expression turned enraged. His breaths sounded raw and heavy through gritted teeth and a tightened jaw. The Phoenix lifted his hand and the dagger’s hilt heated. I hissed, instinctively letting go of it.
I had no powers, no weapons. I had nothing. “Fool” was the only word uttered by the Phoenix before he unleashed a beam of flames towards me.
This is it. My end.
But then strong arms grabbed me by my waist and pulled me down.
I expected my head to hit the grainy floor, waited for a dizzying thud, but the pain and the sound never came.
Aegir’s palm cupped the back of my head, his other hand, a clenched fist that grazed my face.
I felt his weight as he placed himself on top of me, and then I felt my body turn ice-cold.
Aegir was using his powers to shield me.
Not just. He conjured whatever was left of his powers and used it to shield only me.
I knew it the moment I felt his muscles tense above me.
The moment I scented that awful smell of burning flesh.
Aegir grunted as he accepted the never-ending beam of fire.
He did not move. He did not let go of me.
“Aegir!” I cried. My voice didn’t sound like my own. “Aegir, please!” I tried to push myself up, tried to do something, anything, but I couldn’t counter his weight.
Tears of fear and rage left my eyes at the witness of his pain, at my helplessness. I whimpered at the all-consuming terror…he would die, and I would hope to follow.
But then I heard the sound of grating sand, the whispering whoosh of desert winds in undulating waves. And then I watched as sand granules gathered. They surrounded us, spiralled around us, cocooned around us. Sand Wielders.
And then it went dark.
Aegir’s body went limp. My lungs tightened from both weight and panic. I could hear and feel his breath on my face—I could tell that he was powerless; they felt weak and warm. But I prayed for them to continue and thanked the gods for each one that came.
“Enough!” A man’s muffled voice barely reached me through the sandstone cocoon. “You dare defy the peace treaty? Your own king’s peace treaty!”
The Phoenix grunted. “Need I remind you that you are not to ally against Naar!”
“They are here to buy glass, you foul-smelling pigeon! Now get off our Land and fly back to your master for your punishment.”
The sand barrier collapsed. I blinked against the sunlight and turned my head.
I watched the Phoenix pinned to the ground, just like I was—except he was pinned with sandstone, restrained at his fists and legs, whereas I was pinned beneath the dead weight of the man I knew I was permanently in love with.
A sob broke out of me as I watched Eldric shift from bird to male. He rushed towards us, kneeling next to Aegir. “Boreas freeze me,” he mumbled.
Eldric carefully lifted Aegir, just enough for me to slide myself free. I almost gagged at the damage done. His skin, charred. Pieces of fabric from his shirt stuck to blackened flesh. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how I could help, so I just held his hand, unable to contain my tears.
The Sand Wielder, I noticed, was familiar. One of the king’s men—the captain from the Graind Races. He placed one foot in front of the other and squatted, lifting both arms above his head, his palms facing the sun. The gesture sent the Phoenix hurtling skyward.
Another gesture led to the disintegration of the sandstone that bound the Phoenix’s extremities. It crumbled into fine dust.
Swirls of sand scattered in waves, danced in the light breeze.
The Phoenix, still in the shape of a man, fell freely at first. But then he shifted into his bird form and soared up into the sky, towards the sun.
A caw screeched, its cry reverberating throughout the yard.
I watched the fiery bird diminish into nothing more than a red dot. Then he disappeared.
“Aegir.” My voice was a broken whisper.
He grunted, and I could tell he made an effort to partially lift his lids, meeting my teary eyes. My lips trembled as he slowly reached his hand towards my face, wiping the last fallen tear away.