Reclaimed (The Phoenix Chronicles Book 1)

Reclaimed

Written by E.A Ortega

First book in the Phoenix Chronicles

Chapter 1

The door exploded open as rust shot through the air like poisonous gas. The girl hurried behind a crate while fumbling for a gun she had just stolen.

“This was a bad idea,” she said under her breath.

She had never held a gun before; let alone fire one. It was out of desperation that she had robbed the gas station employee of it. Now she regretted taking it. With her luck the things chasing her would use the weapon against her.

She waited. The only sound that could be heard was her labored breathing. Living on the streets for so long had forced her to adapt to different changes in the environment like weather, people, and whatever she deemed a threat. The thing that she never got used to was the silence.

The city was loud. There was the constant movement of machines and the chatter of people. It was when she began running that she found herself searching for the most secluded places that her enemies wouldn't think of looking in. That sometimes meant hours of silence.

During that time, she was forced to dwell on her pathetic existence she called a life. There was nothing glorious about living on the streets and yet here she was, fleeing from another foster house that didn't understand the threat she brought them. In a few days the police would catch her and she would go through the same process all over again.

The wind began to howl through the gaping hole that was once a door. She knew they were coming.

Stupid gun,
she thought. What was she thinking? She didn't even know how to load the thing.

“She's here,” croaked her hidden enemy. “I can feel her.”

The girl watched as the shadows began to take shape. They pulled together like puzzle pieces until there were four men standing in the abandoned building.

It was the middle of the night but, their bodies pulsed like their skin was on fire. The people standing there were the same ones that had been chasing her for the past six months.

They were men, all of them different sizes but, wearing the same thing. Black clothes from head to toe except for a splash of purple in their hooded robes.

She turned her head and slowly let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

The tallest man smiled, his eyes glowing under his hood. “I know you're there,” he said.

She could hear the laughter in his voice and hated herself for being so scared and weak. If these things were human she would have tried attacking a long time ago.

“We just want to talk,” said another man. His voice was much more high pitched. He sounded young and arrogant; something she learned at a young age was a combination to get oneself seriously hurt or killed.

The girl chewed her bottom lip. She didn't have many choices. This time she had run herself into a room with no exit. Her only saving grace were the decaying storage bins.

She tucked the gun into her jacket pocket and willed her heart to stop beating so fast. If these guys could track her by scent, then they could probably sense her fear. She needed to be completely calm if she wanted to make it out alive.

“Okay,” she said, stepping out from behind the storage bin. “I'm tired of running. Let's talk.”

One of the men moved forward, his white teeth gleaming under his hood. "You are much prettier than I thought."

"The boss said not to touch her," hissed a man from behind.

The one in front whipped around and jabbed a finger into his partner's chest. "I know that! I was just saying she was hot."

"Who is the boss?" asked the girl.

"Our leader," answered another man. "He's the dark-"

"Shut up!" Snapped the one in the front.

The girl let out a long breath.
Good,
she thought.
They were stupid
. At least she had that going for her. With some wit and charm she might be able to escape.

"Fellas," she purred, swinging her hips to the side. "Why are a bunch of tough guys like you answering to some boss who’s not even here?"

The man standing in front smiled again, his eyes darkening. She still wasn't able to make out his face. The only visible things were his strange purple eyes and shiny white teeth.

"He is the most powerful wielder that has ever lived," hissed the man. "That's why we follow him."

"What is a wielder? Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sure all of you together could take him and then rule the...wielders."

"We thought about that," said the shortest man.

The one standing in front spun around and threw his hands forward. Black and purple electricity shot from his hand, bringing everyone to their knees. He slowly turned back around, the creepy smile never leaving his face.

"Summer," he whispered.

She raised her brow in shock as her name left his lips. The small amount of confidence she had, left as quickly as it had come. There was no way the people she was dealing with were humans. she was going to die.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice breaking at the end.

He began to stalk her like prey. "You. It'll make all of this easier if you just come without a fight. Our boss won't hurt you."

"I find that hard to believe."

She dug her hand in her coat pocket and felt the cool metal of the gun against her palm. The thing she had no clue how to use was the only hope she had left.

"Don't do this," warned the man.

She looked over his shoulder and watched as the others groaned while they got to their feet. If one shot like that could knock them out, then what would it do to her?

"And what if I say no?" asked Summer.

He shook his head. "That's not an option."

"Then your boss isn't going to be happy." Summer pulled out the gun and fired. Her arm flew backwards, causing the bullet to cut through a window. It shattered, the glass showering over them.

The man laughed, turned to his friends, and nodded once. Summer couldn't believe what she was seeing. All of them melted into the floor like they were nothing but air.

She stepped back until her hands touched the rusted crate. There was no where she could run. They finally had trapped her and were now going to bring her to some man that probably had magical powers just like these demons.

She waited, her breathing labored as she watched the shadows intently. The silence dragged on. The same anxiety from earlier came back as she strained to hear just a single sound.

The ground suddenly became black below her and two hands shot out. She screeched as they locked onto her ankles.

In front of her the man who seemed to be in charge began to materialize. He rose from the floor, his purple eyes glowing with mock amusement.

"I didn't think it would be this easy," he said.

Summer could hear the blood pumping from her heart. It was a steady thump in her ears that sounded like the beat of a drum. Her head began to feel fuzzy as the image of the man started to fade.

"Don't come near me," she said through clenched teeth.

"You're not really in a position to bargain."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You don't get it. I'll hurt you and I can't control it."

The man gave her a puzzled look. "Really now? Sounds very scary but, I'll take my chances."

He reached forward and grabbed onto her wrist. She screamed as the fire raced through her body. It jumped onto his skin and he immediately collapsed to the floor; writhing in pain and unable to make a sound.

Her ankles were released as the person below her suffered the same fate.

"I told you not to," she yelled, the tears burning her eyes.

She fell to her knees, the blackness threatening to consume her like it always did. It wasn't until she heard a loud bang that she remembered there were at least two more guys.

Summer lifted her head which felt like a cement block, and blinked through her haziness. Standing a few feet from her was the biggest man she had ever seen. He had a golden aura around him and was staring at her with his mouth hanging open.

"She's going to pass out!" shouted a voice from her right.

She was too tired to look. If they were going to take her then now was the best time to do it. There was no way she could even manage to put up a fight.

"What about the guys?" asked the golden man.

"Let them go," said the same voice from her right.

Sweat was pouring down her face as she fought the urge to vomit. It took everything in her to look at each person approaching her.

"Stay away purple eyes," she wheezed. Her breaths were now coming in gasps.

The golden man bent down and put a hand on her head. "Relax," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft even though his accent was strong.

A warmth filled her body that started at the top of her head and slowly crept down to her toes. In a matter of minutes, the nausea had disappeared and she no longer felt like she was going to die.

She wiped her brow and looked up. Her golden eyes were met with a pair of purple ones. "What do you want?"

"To help you," said the boy. He held out his hand.

She eyed it suspiciously. "Those other guys were trying to kill me and now you want to help when you look just like them?"

"We're trying to give you a safe place to stay," said a female's voice from behind purple eyes. "Don't be stupid and let's go."

Summer chuckled. "That totally makes me want to come. You must be a writer or something since you are so good with words."

The female stepped forward and scowled. "Then stay here. I don't care."

The familiar sirens filled the air before Summer could respond. She jumped up, her legs wobbly but, not as bad as they usually were.

"I have to go," she said.

"Come with us and you won't have to deal with the cops," said purple eyes.

Their conversation was once again interrupted as the police officers voice sounded over his loud speaker.

"Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!"

Summer smiled. "Maybe another day, guys. Time to have my monthly meeting with the cops." She looked at the golden man. "Thanks for...doing whatever you did."

She tossed the gun to purple eyes, put her hands up, and walked through the only exit. There was some shouting and loud thumps before the doors slammed and the cars drove away.

"What now?" asked the girl.

Purple eyes sighed. "We go after her."

Chapter 2

Summer sat in the back of the cop car and stared at her cuffs. She had lost enough weight that they might just slip off. Even if she did get them off there was no where she could go.

“What number is this, Summer?” asked the cop.

“Five,” she grumbled. “And I’ll just keep doing it.”

“You can run away until you’re eighteen. After that we don’t care anymore because you’re an adult. Remember that.”

“I look forward to it.”

The cop glanced at her in the mirror and shook his head. “It’s a hard life with no job, money, or any skills in general.”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for caring so much. You should get a promotion.”

The cop cursed under his breath and continued driving. She loved that she could get under their skin. The whole force thought they were helping her by continually picking her up but, all they were doing was putting another family at risk. The purple eyed demons always found her. That’s why she could never stop running.

They arrived at the station and the cop took her cuffs off. She was still a juvenile and not deemed a threat. Too bad they didn’t know she could burn the whole place down if she tried.

“The interview room is being cleaned so I’ll let you stay in the waiting room. There’s a cop right outside. Don’t try anything stupid.”

She gave him a mock salute and then stuck her tongue out when he turned his back. The door slammed shut as she sank into one of the chairs. Of course it felt like she was locked in a freezer.

The door suddenly opened almost as soon as it had shut. Standing there was a female cop that she had never seen before.

“Summer,” greeted the woman. “I have some food and water for you. Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. It had been almost an entire day since she had eaten anything. That was the downfall of living on the streets. She never knew where her next meal was going to come from.

The woman handed her the tray and left with a smile. Once the door shut Summer devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes. Now if she could get some sleep then maybe she would be ready the next time her purple-eyed friends attacked.

Summer allowed her eyes to close as she laid down on the chair. Not even the cold, hard plastic or the new people she had just met could keep her awake. A full stomach and the safety of the police station was enough comfort to finally let her body relax.

Her sleep was restless. The images of her attackers constantly flitted through her dreams. Sometimes they were so real that she was certain she was being chased.

A knock at the door made her shoot up out of the chair. She backed up against the wall, frantically reaching for some kind of weapon. Anything that could hurt a person.

“Summer I…what are you doing?” Asked the cop from earlier.

She relaxed and stretched her hands over her head. “You can never be too cautious. Don't they teach you that in cop school?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Very funny. Anyway, you'll be excited to know that a cousin of yours has come into town. He just found out that you were still alive after the accident with your-”

“Yeah okay,” said Summer, waving her hand. She knew the story; she had been there. No reason to relive the memories. She had crazier things to worry about. Like a cousin she knew didn't exist.

“Are you ready to meet them? If things go well, then maybe you can have your permanent home.”

“Sounds exciting,” answered Summer.

She followed him out of the room, her curiosity getting the best of her. There was no doubt that a stranger was waiting to meet her. Whether it really was some long lost relative or the purple-eyed guys, everyone was a stranger to her.

Summer was led into the interview room which smelled like lemon cleaner. She let out a chuckle and quickly covered it up with a cough.

The cop forced Summer into a chair and patted her shoulder. “She's your problem now. I'll give you guys a few minutes while I do the paperwork and call her case worker.”

Summer turned in her chair and waved to the cop. “Do you have a card or something?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I need one so I can call your boss and tell him what an outstanding cop you are. You'll get that promotion if it’s the last thing I do!”

The cop growled something unintelligible and slammed the door on his way out.

“Alright,” said Summer, turning her attention back to her visitor. “What do you want purple eyes?”

“Purple...never mind,” he shook his head. “My name is Ash and we're here to get you to safety.”

“I don't need rescuing. In case you missed it, I turned your friends into burnt marshmallows.”

“Summer,” he said, his voice almost desperate. “If we didn't heal you, more would've come and taken you. They're probably on their way here now. I can't explain a whole lot but, I'm taking you somewhere safe. There will be more people like you.”

She laughed. “That can burn stuff? Doesn't sound very safe to me. No thank you.”

“You don't understand the kind of danger you're in.”

“Oh yes I do.” She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Let me ask you something, Ash. Where were you guys when I burned my high school down a year ago? Or how about when I turned seventeen and these guys first started chasing me?”

“Summer we-”

“Shut up,” she snapped. “Don't come here and lecture me on what's dangerous when I've been on my own for a long time. You can't just pop up, heal me with some weird magic, and then expect me to trust you. That's not how people work.”

Ash’s lip was in a thin line as he studied her. There was a long, awkward moment of silence before he spoke again.

“I've been looking for you. You're hard to find.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. She leaned forward. “Now let's make a deal. You get me out of here and I'll listen to what you have to say.”

Ash chewed his bottom lip. He knew that this deal was the only way he would be able to talk to her. There really was no other choice.

“Fine,” he sighed.

Summer smirked. “Good choice. Now let's go before the cops figure out what's really going on.”

Both of them stood up and Ash knocked on the door. Summer was surprised at just how tall he was. Not even close to how large golden guy was but, still impressive.

The police officer came to the door and yanked it open. He handed Ash a stack of papers with a grin.

“Good luck,” he said.

When they walked into the front of the station Summer almost fell over from shock. Sitting there was the giant golden guy and the girl from earlier. She wasn't able to make out much of the girl’s appearance back in the rundown storage place but, now that she could she was impressed by how intimidating she looked.

When the cops were out of earshot Summer turned around.

“And this is where I say bye. Thanks for bailing me out,” she said to Ash.

“You promised we could talk.”

She patted his chest. “Good talk, purple eyes. See ya.”

Summer wasn't even able to take a step when the lights started to flicker. Black smoke began seeping in from underneath the door. It spread through the room, covering the entire floor.

Ash threw Summer behind him and held his hands out. A purple ball of electricity formed between them.

“Stay back,” he ordered, his eyes glowing.

Three figures materialized out of the smoke like they had done earlier in the abandoned building. Summer panicked. She pressed herself against the wall and wondered why the cops weren't doing anything.

The girl that had helped her was the first to move. She opened up a lighter and pulled the fire into her hand like she was its master.

She hurled the fire at the three figures. Two of them were able to dodge it but, the third wasn't so lucky. She hit it directly in the chest as the man fell to the ground and let out a screech.

The golden man jumped forward and formed a circle around the fallen man's ankles and wrists. A white, long rope made of energy locked the man in place like handcuffs.

Summer was amazed. She had never seen something so unbelievable in her life.

Ash quickly moved in front of Summer as a blast of dark energy flew towards her. It hit him in the chest, sending him crashing into her.

She hissed through her teeth and shook her head. “Are you okay?” She managed to ask.

Summer's question was never answered as the second guy shot another bolt of purple and black electricity. This time it was the golden guy who stepped in. He held up his hands and formed a shield just in time to block the attack. He staggered back and hissed in pain as the shield shattered, cutting into his hands.

“Give us the girl!” Shouted the second attacker.

He began to melt into the ground when a loud bang sounded through the room. Everyone turned to look at a row of cops standing behind them. They were all visibly shaken and had guns pointing at them.

“Time to go,” said Ash.

The fire girl with the lighter shot a small flame towards the fire sprinklers. Water burst from the ceiling and the room became completely chaotic.

Ash grabbed onto Summer's arm, pulling her through the door before their enemies realized what was happening. At this point she decided that it was probably in her best interest to follow them and didn't bother putting up a fight.

They ran past a few shops and finally stopped in front of a man hole.

“If you think I'm going-”

Summer's protests were cut short by Ash wrapping his arms around her. He jumped down, successfully landing in a small puddle of dirty water. He moved just in time as the other two came down.

Summer really thought these guys were crazy when Ash held his wrist to the wall. He waited patiently until the wall began to crumble. The only thing left was a gaping hole surrounded by white light.

“Oh hell,” was all Summer could get out before she was dragged inside.

When she opened her eyes again she was grasping onto Ash for dear life. Summer let go just as the contents of her stomach came up.

She held up her hand. “Stay back, golden boy. I don't need your help this time.”

He lowered his hand. “My name is Petar and that's Tracy.”

“Fine,” gasped Summer. “I don't think I need to introduce myself since everyone seems to magically know my name.”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and attempted to stand back up. Her jaw dropped open as the background came into view. Resting on top of a hill was the biggest castle she had ever seen. Not even the books she read had described something so horrifying and beautiful at the same time.

Tracy smirked. “Welcome to the Wielder Training Grounds or WTG.”