I opened my eyes the little I could, wincing at the sharp pain.
Dawn was coming, lighting the sky only just. I had a feeling more than one night had passed.
He was watching me.
I shifted - the slighted angling of my body towards him, into his hold. I knew I was safe with him even though he held me in this coma-like state. It didn"t mean he wouldn"t hurt me later or let one of them kill me. It didn"t mean he"d stop me if the time came for drastic measures. But for now, I was safe.
I saw something in his eyes as the corners of his mouth lifted, a look that was not exile but …
human
.
„Bliss," he whispered, followed softly by, „sleep."
His power - jasmine and musk - blanketed me and I closed my eyes once again.
-
The next time I woke up I was lying on a narrow vinyl bed opposite a galley - I could tell by the sound and movement that we were on a speed boat. It took a while, but this time I woke fully. I could sense Phoenix somewhere above. There were no other exiles with us, but I could feel their distant presence nonetheless, an awesome number, unlike anything I"d ever sense before.
The boat started to slow. He knew I was awake. My hand pushed out and knocked something cold and hard - my dagger in its sheath. He"d left it for me.
I wasn"t going back to sleep this time.
-
I took inventory. My legs were wobbly, but working. My face was bruised, but already I was healing so I knew some time had passed since I"d been experiencing internally, thanks to my soul, seemed to have lessened, though I didn"t know how long that would last. I could still feel it lurking inside me, like a clever snake waiting to strike.
Phoenix had left a change of clothes and while I didn"t want to give him the satisfaction of putting them on I didn"t want to have to fight in the red dress I was still wearing. I quickly changed into the pants and singlet and was relieved to find a pair of trainers too. I shivered
- it was creepy he knew all my sizes. I secured my dagger around my waist and quickly scanned the small cabin to see if there was anything else that could help me, but everything was bolted down. I searched in vain for a radio, but it was futile - Phoenix had been thorough in his preparations.
Looking through the small porthole it seemed like mid-morning but again I felt certain another full day and night had passed since last waking. I had no idea how long I"d been under Phoenix"s spell.
After waiting as long as I dared, I made my way up to the deck. Phoenix was sitting on a plastic bench that wrapped around a square white table, fixed to the floor. A large sheet around a square out in front of him. A map. Drawn on top of it - a carefully plotted large inverted triangle with another smaller one within.
I took in my surroundings, squinting into the strong sunlight. We were off shore, but I could still see Santorini in the distance and its white cliff tops reflecting the sun. The ocean was an amazing rich blue - the type you usually only see in the movies - except for the water encircling the boat, which was as dark as tar and uninviting. It lapped against the hull menacingly, hiding something awful, deep below.
„Where are your exiles?" I asked, my voice croaky and my throat sandpaper dry.
„Busy drawing straws." He glanced up at me, a small look of amusement in his eyes, then, just as quickly, went back to his papers. „Not many of them like the water. Drowning is uncomfortable. Being immortal and trapped at the bottom of the ocean even more so."
„How long have I been asleep? Why am I here?"
He picked up a jug that was at his side and poured what looked like water into an empty glass, sliding it in my direction.
„This is your fourth day with me."
„How have I not starved?" I asked, subconsciously patting myself down. I was definitely slimmer but thought that was more a general result of the past few months.
He hitched a shoulder. „While you"re under, your body conserves its strength and resources. Now drink," he commanded.
I took a step towards the water glass before shaking myself out of it. „No. I let you bring me but don"t you think you can influence me without my permission."
He shrugged. „If you"re thirsty, you know where it is." He studied the map again and tapped his pen on the table. „I need to know what they"re planning, Violet. I"m sure Griffin will try to launch some kind of attack as soon as we arrive at the volcano. What are they going to do to stop me?" He pushed as much compulsion as he could into the question.
I laughed briefly. „Well, I really was the wrong person to take! I wasn"t even invited to the war room. I have no idea, only that it"s not Griffin calling the shots at the moment. But if I know Lincoln, I"d have to agree with you."
With any luck he"ll be waiting for you with a great big welcoming party!
Phoenix studied me for a time. „You really don"t know."
It wasn"t a question - he"d been trying to read me and seen I wasn"t hiding anything.
„Let me guess. That was Lincoln"s doing?" he said, frustration leaking from his tone and showing in his snarl.
I blinked. „What do you mean?"
He threw his pen down now and sat back. „Leaving you out of the loop was smart. I"ll give him that."
„Why am I here, Phoenix?" I repeated, not needing a reminder that Lincoln had been keeping secrets from me, yet again.
„I need your services."
„Well, you know what, you can go stuff yourself?" I said, suddenly having serious second thoughts.
He just smiled. „I could. But I don"t think so."
Had I made a huge mistake coming with him? Maybe I had - to think I could stop him from the inside. Plus, being on this small boat was making me feel claustrophobic. I started looking for a way out.
„I"m leaving," I said, searching my pockets for my phone, before remembering he"d taken it. I stormed to the edge of the boat, leaning over the railing.
„More dramatic threats?"
I glared at him and started to climb the steel wires. „I"m a good swimmer."
„That may be, but there are things in this water that move much faster than you today, especially if you"re bleeding."
The threat was loud and clear.
I spun but he was already there. Before giving it any more thought I kneed him in the groin and moved myself into a better defensive position. I knew he was right about the water, but with him and I alone like this, it might be my only chance. We were both awake now, both strong. He wouldn"t hesitate to hurt me if it served his purposes.
Phoenix folded over in pain, even though he tried to laugh it off.
I held my position.
„Okay then," he said, straightening. Then, like lightning, he hit me across the face.
Fighting on a small boat is challenging. Every time you move you bump into something hard. But I kept my focus. I was strong and tactical and I used everything I had - Lincoln"s training to stand still and wait for the attack was particularly handy in the confined space.
Phoenix was cocky to start with, lazy in his defence. He thought he"d have me easily.
But I dodged his strikes cleanly and returned hits, making contact. When I finally managed a kick to his gut, forcing him hard into the railing and giving him a good view of the dark waters, his expression changed. He"d come dangerously close to taking a bath and the exile in him raged, fuelled with a sense of pride and superiority. Now, the fight really began.
He delivered a full-force hit to my stomach, which threw me back as he grabbed my arm and swung me around so that his next kick went into the small of my back and made me fall on my face. I got up fast. My back was spasming in horrific pain, but I didn"t stop. I moved forwards, knowing he would try to finish me with his fists, but I ducked in time, hitting him as I came back up, then stepping away from him enough to ensure my next kick caught him in the side of his ribs. When he moved to protect the area, my knee went up, without thinking, to strike his face. But Phoenix was too fast. He caught my leg, pulled it out and spun me so hard my entire body pretzelled until I lay twisted on the ground, one of my feet in his hold.
He crouched on top of me, straining my leg backwards at the knee before dropping it.
Then, he sat on top of me.
„Well," he marvelled, as if perplexed. „That … took longer than I expected.
I squirmed under his weight, but I was pegged face down.
„And that …"
He slammed his fist down on the boat decking. I flinched.
„Wouldn"t be the wisest thing to do right now!"
I could feel the tremor running through him as he held me down. I waited for him to do something, go on the attack. I was his captive and he clearly wanted to prove it. I stayed still, barely breathing, and closed my eyes.
Waiting can be worse than anything else in the world.
To my surprise, a few minutes later he seemed to rein himself in and his breathing settled. When he spoke, his voice was even.
„Now, here"s how it"s going to go. In about fifteen minutes, three exiles will be brought before you and you will return them as and when I instruct you. Do you understand?"
„Never!" I spat out, grimacing under his weight.
„And if you don"t, not only will I be forced to hurt you, badly, but I will finish what I started with Steph." He leaned over me, until his body covered mine and his mouth was at my ear.
„I give you my word on that."
I clenched my jaw. Phoenix might now, for whatever reason, want to kill me yet, but he would kill Steph and anyone else I cared about if he had to.
„Do we have an agreement?"
„Yes."
-
Another speed boat appeared shortly after, pulling up alongside us. Olivier was on it, plus half a dozen exiles, three bound tightly in lashings of metal chains. Phoenix tied their boat to the back of ours, but didn"t invite them to climb aboard. I wondered if they were really afraid of the water or if that was just an excuse for why he"d been keeping them away. I suspected he was either protecting me in some bizarre way or staking his claim on me.
After being curtly instructed, Olivier pushed the first exile into our boat and over to Phoenix, who yanked him closer. The way Phoenix handled him was … strange - with a kind of contempt, as if he was pleased to be destroying him.
„These are three of our strongest. Are you sure you want these ones?" Olivier asked.
„Absolutely," Phoenix said with a growl.
Why is he destroying their most vicious? Is that a requirement of the sacrifice?
I didn"t think so. In fact, the more I thought about it, Phoenix seemed to take every opportunity he could to destroy an exile. He needed them, but he also despised them. Even now.
Does that mean there"s still hope?
He hauled that exile towards me, forcing him to his knees.
„Return him and throw him to the water before he is gone."
I took my dagger in my hand, wondering why it hadn"t occurred to me to use it when I"d been fighting with Phoenix. I hadn"t even considered it.
„I can"t just execute him!" I pleaded.
But Phoenix just pushed the exile closer to me, moving neared himself at the same time, and speaking quietly so the other boatload could not hear.
„He kills women only. None older than twenty. He rapes them until there is no life in them and then he burns their bodies, roasting his dinner on the flames."
Phoenix held my eyes, making sure I understood that he was telling me the truth.
When I drove my dagger into the exile"s heart, I didn"t feel as bad as I thought I would. In fact, I felt almost entitled. I pulled it out and threw him to the water as instructed, not willing to risk Steph"s life with another delay.
Whatever lurked within the shadows pounced quickly, wrapping itself around the exile like silken evil, pulling its catch deep before disappearing entirely. Without another word, Phoenix started up the engine and took us in a straight line to the second sacrificial site. I looked at the map again. We were travelling to the points of the outer triangle.
Three at the hand of the highest command.
The second exile targeted children, taking them from their parents for ransom and then delivering them back afterwards. In pieces.
I killed him fast.
The third one, from the look in Phoenix"s eyes, was the worst. He didn"t tell me what this one did, he just appeared envious that I was the one who got to return him. That was enough for me.
Each time we stopped, the waters darkened around is until I threw overboard the dying exile and something sinister moved in their depths, swallowing its victim whole.
I felt little remorse for returning these monsters. No fate could be too awful for them. But still. With each thrust of my dagger I hated Phoenix for making me do this, forcing my hand to bring their ends and using their demise to help unleash something even worse.
When the last exile had been taken and Olivier"s boat was headed towards land, I turned on Phoenix and hit him across the face with the hilt of my dagger. He stumbled back, I hadn"t expected to injure him, not that way, anyway. I had hit him so he"d know.
„It will never be you.
You
will never break me!"
He stood straight. „Oh, believe me, Violet, I know that." He shook his head, more to himself than me. „I fell you …
All
the time, even when you are not near. I know where your emotion is vested and who has the power to break you. I know it is not me. But thank you for the reminder." He wiped a drop of blood from his lip.
„I"ll do it again if you like," I said, wondering if this would be it, if this would be the moment his intentions changed. I"d done as he had bidden, made the sacrifices. My worth to him was quickly diminishing.
„You could try."
I made a quick decision - I wouldn"t get another opportunity. If I could stop him now, they still had a chance. Six sacrifices were needed. Three had been made, I couldn"t change that, but there were still three more.
Three at the hand of the heart of man.
With the full force that my power could bring, I urged it forwards with all my will to stop him - amethyst mist surrounded me instantly. But Phoenix was ready, and swift.