Phoenix Burning (17 page)

Toby found Ayla in the courtyard.

“How’re you doing?” He hesitated, then gave her hand a squeeze.

Ayla leaned close. “We need to move on this.”

Toby nodded his agreement.

“Follow my lead,” she whispered.

Mother Hesper was on the top step, watching Zahir as he emerged into the courtyard. He kept his eyes low as he passed.

The mother’s own eyes were hooded by her low brow and her cheekbones sliced lines of shadow into her face.

Ayla marched up the steps towards her. “May Toby and I please pray inside the Reliquary?” She lowered her chin and made a sun sign. “I feel the need to be closer to the Sun than ever.”

Mother Hesper frowned. “
Inside
the Reliquary?”

“Yes. Like the brother we saw.”

“The Reliquary is only for those high enough in the Solar Order – brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.”
Mother Hesper started to turn away.

“But the relics seem like proof that the Sun pays attention.” Ayla hung her head and Toby saw the muscle in her jaw twitching. “I felt so close to the Sun in there and it’s been so
hard
today. Hail the Sun.” Ayla raised her hand higher, as if pressing the sister to agree.

“You are trying to seem more devout than us!” Furious, Lenka ran up the steps behind Ayla. “But you are not.
We
want to pray in the Reliquary, too.” She nodded vigorously at Matus.

“That does sound like a good idea.” Summer stepped forwards. “We’d like to pray in the Reliquary as well.”

“You would all like to do this?” Mother Hesper raised her eyebrows.

Bianca nodded. “A prayer before the relics
would
help me centre myself … after…” Her eyes went to the door through which Aldo and Celeste had vanished.

Mother Hesper stared thoughfully at Bianca then finally she spoke. “You may have a few minutes in the Reliquary.”

The guardian uncles were not happy about the visit, taking their time about moving aside and glowering at Mother Hesper as she unlocked the thick iron-wood door. The six couples filed past with their heads down. Only Ayla
looked up, and Toby saw her taking note of the uncle’s weapons, her face calculating. He caught her hand and drew her attention to give a small shake of his head.

She scowled and faced the door, but left her hand in his. Toby wrapped his fingers around hers as they entered the crypt.

Most of the couples went to the museum pieces. Bianca, Zahir and Uzuri dropped to their knees in front of the Egyptian statues, but the others remained standing, heads bowed.

Mother Hesper watched suspiciously as Ayla and Toby headed towards the inverters where they sat among the other strange devices, their Solaris symbols displayed.

“Don’t you want to pray with the others?”

Ayla shook her head. “To me,
these
are the best relics – they caused the Sun to go out, so I know the Sun listens
here
.” She stopped in front of them. “Praise the Sun,” she said loudly.

Lenka’s head flew up and she nudged Matus. “I want to pray there,” she hissed.

“She’s right.” Moira turned. “Those relics’re holier.”

“Much.” Toby nodded.

“Well, I wasn’t distracted by the shiny things.” Ayla gestured disparagingly at the jewels and museum pieces.

Arthur put a hand on Summer’s arm as the girl jerked up,
anger burnishing her cheeks.

Ayla leaned in close to Toby and pressed her lips to his ear. “Be ready,” she mouthed.

Toby stepped closer to the relics. The inverters were near the front, piled together. A single grab would get him both, but only if no one was watching.

“You think you’re so devout.” Ayla looked at Bianca. “But there you are, praying in front of jewellery and other valuables like a banker with his money box.”

Bianca abandoned the statuettes and leaped to her feet. Her long fingernails slashed the air and she faced Ayla, nose to nose.

“
Girls
…” Mother Hesper’s voice held a warning tone but Ayla put one hand on Bianca’s hip and one on her shoulder. “Get out of my face,” she hissed and she shoved hard. Bianca flew backwards and thudded into the wall between the shelves.

As Mother Hesper cried out in alarm, Toby edged closer to the shelf on which the relics were displayed.

Lenka reached for Ayla’s arms. “You think you’re more devout than us?” she screeched. “You think
you’ll
win the trials? There’s no way you’ll beat Matus and I.”

Ayla spun around, as fast as Toby had seen her move; she knocked one of Lenka’s grasping hands out of the way with her shoulder and as Lenka staggered sideways,
she continued her turn, grabbed the girl by her neck and bent her over her knee, backwards.

Lenka gasped, unable to cry out and with a yell Bianca jumped on to Ayla’s back and yanked her hair. Ayla issued a sharp punch to Lenka’s forehead, dropped the dazed girl and reached up. She put one hand on her own skull to prevent her hair being pulled any harder; then with the other, she grabbed Bianca, ducked and flung her over her shoulder.

The air flew from Lenka’s lungs in a burst as Bianca crashed on top of her. Bianca screamed, rolling to clutch her spine.

Mother Hesper retreated from Bianca’s thrashing limbs. “That’s enough,” she said loudly. “This is a holy place.”

But now Moira and Brody were circling.

“You’re nae better than us,” Moira hissed.

Toby swallowed. It was as if all the tension that had wound inside them over the last few days had suddenly found an outlet. Could Ayla handle this?

Cezar hopped from foot to foot, looking from Toby to the others. Toby knew he couldn’t get the inverters while Cezar was watching him. Toby held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, making it clear he wouldn’t get involved.

His back met the shelf. The items he so desperately wanted were right behind him and now a furious Mother Hesper was marching to the Reliquary door. Toby’s heart
thudded. “She’s going for the uncles,” he called.

Ayla nodded. Things had to get chaotic and fast. She surged towards Brody. It looked to Toby like she was punching wildly, but each fist landed with almost surgical precision, causing maximum damage without actually putting him out of the fight. When Moira threw herself into the fray, her own arms flailing, Toby realized the trio had drawn every eye, even Cezar’s.

In one swift movement, he reached round and pulled his trousers open at the back. With his other hand he swept the two inverters off the shelf. When he felt them tumble inside he exhaled and took two long steps away from the shelf and the fight.

He bent down as if to rub away a cramp in his leg and pulled the inverters from the bottom of his trousers. When he stood up, he slipped one into each pocket and returned his attention to Ayla.

Half of her attention was on him. When she saw him stand she tried to pull back from the fight. Immediately, Moira took advantage of her loss of focus. Wrapping her arms around Ayla, she held her still, while Brody raised his fists.

Toby shouted, but he couldn’t risk diving in to save Ayla and losing the inverters.

So he didn’t move.

As Toby shouted, Bianca rolled back to her feet and grabbed Ayla’s shirt. She yanked it sideways, ripping the material and Ayla struggled as the sputtering torchlight showed her scars to the group.

“
Ha!
” Bianca lifted one hand, her long nails flashing.

This had gone too far. Inverters almost forgotten, Toby dived forwards to stop Bianca – and ran straight into an outstretched arm. Matus. He slammed into the floor, back first, gasping for breath. Immediately his hands went to his pockets – both inverters remained secure. But at Ayla’s scream he looked up.

Her face was turned upwards and her lips were twisted with agony.

Horror-struck, Toby watched Bianca dig her pointed nails deeper into Ayla’s shoulder and drag downwards. Ayla’s scar tissue peeled like the skin of an orange. Four furrows filled with blood, which started to drip down her arm.

“Stop it!” Toby screamed.

Mother Hesper burst back into the room with two uncles at her back. Fury drew her features into thin lines and she shouted with rage until one of the big men dragged Bianca from Ayla’s side.

For a second Bianca fought, half-crazed. Then, she stopped abruptly. She nodded to the uncle and, when he released her, she stepped backwards, lifted her nails to her face and, slowly, licked them clean.

“You’re sick,” Toby choked.

Even Lenka slid her gaze sideways, unable to look at Ayla’s injuries. When the second guard pulled Moira’s arms from Ayla and pushed her away, Toby struggled to his feet, barged Brody out of the way and caught his partner as her knees folded.

“I’m going to
kill
her,” Ayla seethed, shaking him free and reeling to her feet. She straightened and pulled her shirt closed, but not before Mother Hesper had seen her chest.

“Are those burns?” Mother Hesper stepped close and licked her lips.

“What of it?” Ayla threw her head back.

Mother Hesper exhaled. “Very holy. The heat of the Sun would burn us if we drew too close.” She took hold of Ayla’s collar with skeletal fingers and pulled it aside. She leaned in to examine the pink skin, turning her head one way and
then the other, then her eyes went to the seeping wounds.

“Those could get infected.” She dropped Ayla’s shirt over the bloody marks. Immediately the cloth began to redden. “We have an infirmary. I will take you there.”

“I’m coming, too.” Toby folded his arms.

“Your presence isn’t necessary,” Mother Hesper growled.

“I want him to come.” Ayla’s voice was shaking. Toby hoped she was putting it on; otherwise she was in even more pain than he had realized.

“Fine,” Mother Hesper said eventually. “Both of you come to the infirmary.” She turned to the others. “Fighting like this is not acceptable. You will all be on half portions at mealtime. Now leave this place. The Reliquary is out of bounds to you until the festival.”

Mother Hesper abandoned them outside the infirmary.

“In there. Your dinner will be waiting when you’re finished.”

Toby nodded and pushed open the patchwork metal door. Inside, flickering lamplight illuminated four beds – two were occupied.

“Celeste, Aldo!” Toby ran inside. The couple were unconscious in adjacent beds. Even in sleep they held hands, their linked fingers bridging the gap between them.

They had been washed and dressed but blood had dried on both sets of lips and Celeste’s delicate features were drawn into a tight frown, as though she were dreaming badly.

As Toby skidded to a stop, a brother with very short black hair, wearing a white coat over his robes turned and glared. “Quiet.”

“
Hideaki!
” Ayla stopped just in front of the man. “We thought you were dead.”

Toby stepped closer. Now that he was looking for it, he could see the skull and crossbones tattoo that was almost completely covered by the man’s growing hair.

Hideaki glanced quickly at the door. “Close it,” he hissed. While Toby clicked the door shut, he checked that his patients really were asleep with a gentle nudge. Satisfied that they had privacy, he turned and embraced Ayla.

“Second – you came for me!”

“Not exactly.” Ayla pushed him away. “We’re here for the inverters.”

“But you have a plan to get out?”

Ayla looked sideways at Toby, who flushed. They had a plan to get the two of them out. Hideaki did not fit into it.

“We’ll find a way,” Toby insisted.

“I know how to get to the inverters.” Hideaki spread his hands. “It’ll be easier with the three of us. I’ll help you reach them, but only if I can leave with you.”

Ayla cleared her throat. “Toby?”

“You trust him?” Toby glanced at the Japanese doctor. “What if he’s gone native?”

“Gone native?” Hideaki spat and lowered his voice. “
Fuzakeru na!
Have you any idea what it’s like in here?” He threw a bloody cloth into the sink. “I just had to stitch up six children who will never speak again.” He closed his eyes.

“Being a silent attendant is meant to be a huge honour,” Ayla mumbled. “They get to know the greatest mysteries.”

“It’s the sun, how damn mysterious can it be?” Hideaki snapped. “I’m no doctor but, as the most qualified here, I’m in charge of the infirmary. It’s insane. You know some of them don’t eat. They believe that they should be able to live on sunlight. Live on sunlight!” He shook his head. “I am constantly treating burns because they think it takes them closer to the Sun.”

Ayla touched her throat, remembering Mother Hesper’s words when she saw Ayla’s own injuries:
Very holy
.

“Then there’re the endless services and prayers to the Orb. I have to get out.”

“I trust you.” Ayla put a hand on his arm. “And I’ll get us all out. As for the other – Toby?”

Toby put his hands in his pockets, but he didn’t withdraw them. Had Ayla known where Hideaki was all along? Was that why she came up with a plan to get the inverters
that meant she was sent to the infirmary? He was now facing two
Banshee
crew members. If they wanted to take both inverters and escape using the Tuinal, he couldn’t stop them. Was the
Banshee
, at this moment, waiting offshore for its crew members, while the
Phoenix
anchored in Malta until the festival? Was this the double-cross Dee had warned him of? It made sense. Ayla had needed him to get the inverters, but she didn’t need him any more.

“Toby?” Ayla frowned.

Toby retreated towards the door.

“Where’re you going?” She looked at Hideaki and the doctor moved to block his exit.

“You trust him.” Toby nodded towards Hideaki. “But how do I know you won’t both betray
me
?”

Ayla whitened. “I thought we’d worked this out. I promised—”

Toby gave a bitter laugh. “What does a
promise
mean to a pirate from the
Banshee
?”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Ayla advanced, but she winced when her shirt brushed against her shoulder.

“All I have to do is yell.” Toby clutched the inverters tightly.

“You wouldn’t.” Ayla shook her head. “Whatever happens to us, will happen to you. If they cut the tongues out of devotees, what’ll they be willing to do to
us
?”
She glanced at the door, then back at Toby. “We’re in each other’s hands. You can betray me to the Order, but I can do the same to you. You’re as much in this as we are … and you have…” She pointed to his pockets.

Toby swallowed. “I keep one, you keep the other.”

Ayla nodded. “Fine.”

Toby took a deep breath and withdrew one of the inverters.

Hideaki gaped. “You…
How
?”

Ayla touched his shoulder. “You couldn’t have done it alone.”

“
Aho!
” Hideaki slapped his head, his face contorting as if he was holding back tears. “I’ve been here weeks and you…”

“Hideaki, don’t beat yourself up – this wasn’t a one-man job.”

“It took both of us,” Toby agreed. He was about to slip the inverter back in his pocket when Ayla held out her hand.

“I’ll take that, thank you.”

Toby hesitated.

“Toby!” Ayla’s voice held a warning. “We had an agreement. Are you planning to betray
me
?”

“No!”

“Then hand it over.”

Toby rubbed the Solaris logo with his thumb. Then he thrust the inverter at her in one quick movement. “Take it.”

As Ayla closed her fingers around the inverter her shirt pulled at her shoulder again and she sucked air through her teeth.

Hideaki’s eyes immediately lifted from her hand to the blood on her shirt. “Why did you come to the infirmary, Second?”

Ayla swallowed. “It’s nothing.” She dropped her hand to her side, clutching the inverter tightly.

Hideaki looked from Toby to Ayla, taking in his blond hair and her dark braids. He looked from Ayla to Celeste. “
Chikush
ō
, you are here for the festival, aren’t you? I’ll be stitching your tongue up next.”

“No, you won’t,” Ayla snapped. “Don’t you think I can win this? I’m the second in command—”

“She’s injured,” Toby interrupted angrily. “The cuts need washing out properly and she’ll need antibiotics.”

“I have none. Do you mind, Second?” Deferentially, Hideaki led Ayla to a bed and helped her to sit. It was a measure of the pain she was in that she allowed him to aid her.

Then he carefully peeled the shirt from her shoulder and Ayla inhaled sharply. His face tightened when he saw the injury. “Nail marks – this was done by some
busu
,” he growled. “You were fighting?”

Ayla rolled her eyes. “It was part of the plan.”

“You should have been friendlier with them from the start.” Toby sighed. “Then they might not have hurt you so badly.”

Ayla glowered at him. “This is a competition. We’re not here to make friends. I’ve watched you sucking up to the others, it’s—”

“It makes sense to have allies.” Toby leaned in. “Why can’t you get on with people?”

“I get on with my crew.” Her sea-green stare darkened.

“But the other girls… If you just—”

“If I just
what
? How am I supposed to behave? I haven’t met another girl since my sisters were killed.” She clenched her fists. “Maybe if your mother hadn’t…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Now isn’t the time for this.”

Toby backed away until his legs bumped Celeste’s cot. He held his breath as the girl stirred; then she tightened her hold on Aldo’s hand and settled back into sleep. “You’re right to remind me. I should go.”

Ayla grabbed the sheet beneath her and twisted it awkwardly in her fingers. “Yes. You should leave while Hideaki treats me, anyway. I’ll meet up with you in the dining room.”

Toby’s jaw tightened. “If that’s what you want.”

“It would be best.” Hideaki narrowed his eyes. “I’ll need to remove her shirt and clean the wound properly.
I’ve disinfectant for the cuts. It will hurt.” He addressed the last comment to Ayla.

Ayls nodded. “Go, Toby. I’ll see you later.”

As he walked out, Toby slid his right hand into his pocket and curled his fingers around the inverter there; his left felt dangerously empty.