Reclaimed (The Phoenix Chronicles Book 1) (21 page)

Chapter 25

Summer had her back against the wall and was breathing heavily. Damien was to her left and wisely still keeping his distance. Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the stairs when they heard loud, hurried footsteps. A second later Ash appeared.

“Ash?” asked Summer. “You’re here?”

“Of course I'm here,” he replied. He walked slowly towards her while keeping his eyes on the other wielders who were positioned to attack.

“Just stay away!” she shouted and held her hands out.

Damien smiled. “She knows the truth, Ash. Nothing you say can change her mind.”

Ash went to stand on the opposite side of Summer. He wasn't surprised when no one attacked him. They knew it would only upset Summer and push her further away. This was all just a game to them.

She looked at him, her eyes frantic and pleading. “Why did you come?”

“Because they kidnapped you. Tracy, Nora, and Petar came too. Jasper found us and we've been locked upstairs the whole time.”

She spun her head towards Damien who looked slightly annoyed. “Why would you hurt my friends?”

“I didn't,” he answered, his voice soft. “I kept them there so you could hear me out. They would've just tried to take you and attack everyone.”

“That's not true!” said Ash. “I don't care what any of these people do. Just come home with me.”

She dropped her face into her hands and let out a muffled yell. A complete silence fell over the room. Everyone waited until she looked up again.

“I don't have a home, Ash.” Her lip was trembling. “I've never had a home.”

Damien held out his hand. “You have a home. I'm your family, your home is with me.”

Ash stood up straight and folded his arms. “If he is your family then why did it take him so long to find you? Why is he reaching out to you now?”

Summer blinked. “Why did you wait until now to talk to me?”

“I was just trying to survive.” Damien looked nervous for the first time.

“I thought I was alone for most of my life,” she said, her words coming out choked. “I was so scared during my childhood and was homeless and you were just trying to survive?”

Ash took a step towards Summer. “Don't let him trick you.” He edged his way closer. “He's still killing wielders.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Why are you killing your own people?”

“They always have the chance to join us first and we don't attack unprovoked.” Damien held up his hand before she could protest. “Wait, if you meant so much to these people then why did they leave you to go to the Elven kingdom by yourself?”

“That's right,” mumbled Summer as she glanced at Ash. “You just let me go.”

They were playing a game of tug and war with her and Ash could see her slipping. The elves were right; she was the catalyst that could end all magic or save it.

“It was a mistake,” replied Ash. “I was stupid. You don't want to stay with your brother. He is just using you.”

Damien raised an eyebrow. “I think it is the council that is using her. I'm not forcing her to train."

“Summer,” he said, reaching out to her. “You're a good person and better than this. You know he's wrong.”

“Enough!” shouted Damien.

Two dark wielders rushed forward and grabbed Ash's arms before he had a chance to attack. They kicked him behind his knees and twisted his arms up as he fell to the ground.

“Ash!” Summer cried out. She spun around to face Damien. “What are you doing?”

Damien snapped his fingers. “Give it to me.” A wielder tossed him the book of relics. “You will show me how to use this and then take me to the pieces. We're meant to find them. Not even the Fae can stop us once we have the relics.”

“What do you mean show you how it works?”

“Summer don't do it!” pleaded Ash. The wielders kicked him in his back as he let out a grunt.

Damien held the book open. “It's empty. How do we find the relics?”

Summer bit her lip and looked back at Ash. He had come for her but, was it too late? Was the council really lying the whole time and Damien was the good guy? He was family; he wouldn't hurt her. He made mistakes but, so did everyone else. No one perfect.

“Please Summer,” said Ash. He looked up at her, his eyes trying to make that connection like they always did. The emptiness staring back made his heart drop.

“Why shouldn't I help Damien?” she snapped. “The council used me. The elves used me.” She glared at him. “You used me!”

“That's right,” grinned Damien. “They used you just like they used me.”

Summer took a step towards Damien. She hesitated, casting one last look in Ash's direction. Staring at him was a broken, confused girl and he had no idea how to help her. He was going to lose her.

There was a sudden, loud crash upstairs and a moment later an unconscious Jasper came rolling down the steps. Running after him was Tracy, Petar, and Nora. Ash used this as his one chance to reach Summer.

He pushed up from the ground and slammed all of his weight into one of the men. The other one shot a wave of dark energy which barely missed Ash. He returned it with a shot of his own and sent the wielder staggering backwards. Petar grabbed onto the man and used his brute strength to smash him into a stone wall.

Ash quickly nodded his thanks and ran towards Summer. She looked hopelessly lost in the chaos around her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a pillar, narrowly missing a ball of fire.

“Let me go, Ash!” she yelled, struggling against him.

He pinned her arms down. “No. We're leaving here together.”

“I don't-”

Summer's words were cut off by Ash's desperate lips against hers. She felt the weight of his body pressed against her as he deepened the kiss. There was so much want and hurt in the kiss that it took her breath away.

She pulled back and pressed her forehead against his chest. The fight was gone. “I can't do this.”

He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up. “Yes you can. I'm here because I love you and what happened to my father isn't going to ruin that.”

She blinked and stared at him with a furrowed brow as if the words didn't register.

“Summer I love you.”

Summer could feel the color slowly come back to her face as she stared at the handsome boy in front of her. He was an anchor when she felt like she was losing herself. It was his constant mentoring and belief in her that kept her going through the training. Everyone, no matter how strong, needed that extra push and he was that to her. 

Just like that, she felt the fog of anger lift
.
“It's about time,” she said, smiling.

Ash let out a long breath. He opened his mouth to speak when the pillar in front of them exploded. He used his body to shield summer as the stone collapsed on top of them.

The debris began to glow. Summer let out a scream as the stone shot out in different directions. Some even melted right next to her.

Ash groaned. “Thanks.”

He stood up and pulled Summer with him. They put their backs against the wall and only had a split second to take in what was happening around them before Damien pounced.

He fired two waves of fire at them. Summer blocked it with an attack of her own and ran forward. She brought her fist around which Damien blocked with a grin.

His hands were covered in leather gloves that went halfway up his forearm.

“The fire relic,” he said proudly pointing to the gloves. Before Summer could respond he kicked her feet out from under her.

Summer fell on her back and expected another attack when she suddenly saw Ash appear in front of her like he was made of air. He shoved both arms into Damien's chest and sent him sprawling on the floor. This gave Summer just enough time to get to her feet before Damien was attacking her again.

“These could be yours!” shouted Damien as he raised his hands in the air. Both arms were on fire while his feet picked up speed.

Summer rolled to the right, narrowly missing a flaming punch. Ash wasn't so lucky. He let out a grunt and hit the floor. Damien shot fire onto Ash's open hand and kicked his side.

Summer panicked. She didn't know what to do so she jumped on his back. He frantically reached for her and spun in circles.

“Don't play games!” he screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye Summer caught Ash getting up. He was moving slow but, was still able to charge Damien. At this point the only thing that seemed to be fueling him was anger.

Summer jumped off of Damien's back just as Ash crashed into him. Both of them went tumbling to the floor and fell in the chaos of the other fights.

Petar was trying his best to immobilize the fighters and keep them at bay while Tracy took on two dark wielders. Nora was in the corner trying to protect Zach as she blocked attack after attack. He was still unconscious and showed no signs of getting up.

Summer found Ash in the mess of rubble and realized that he was barely holding on to consciousness. If they didn't do something quick, then all of them were going to die.

Damien stood up, his golden eyes targeting her like prey. “You're not strong enough to kill me. We're going to win and then you'll be forced to come with me.”

“Has that been your plan? Ask the wielders to join and then kill them if they say no? Sounds insane.”

He shrugged. “A life lost is not going to matter once I have all the relics.”

She started to match his steps as they slowly walked in a circle.

“It might have been your plan all along to have me come to that training facility but, I think you screwed yourself,” said Summer.

“Why's that?” asked Damien.

She smiled menacingly. “The training I got was lot more than you thought they would give me. I'm strong and that scares you.”

“Oh Summer,” he said, shaking his head. “Nothing scares me. This,” he gestured towards the room, “Is fun.”

Damien laughed and formed a large ball of fire between his hands. He bounced it back and forth, his eyes never leaving Summer.

“This is your last chance,” he said. “We can do this as a team or I'll force you to help me.”

“We stopped being a team when you knew I existed and didn't bother reaching out to me a single time.”

Damien launched the fire at her. He was too quick for her as it collided with her chest, burning her clothes, and sending her flying backwards. The wall knocked all the air out of her as she struggled to focus in on Damien.

Summer squinted her eyes and looked around. Her friends were still struggling and Ash was barely moving

“You can't win,” said Damien. He carefully picked his way through the broken stone. “I'm strong and the gloves make my attacks practically deadly.”

Summer winced as he shattered the stone next to her with a blaze of fire.

“And I'm going to have fun killing your friends. Their death will be your fault for not joining me. Just like our parent’s death was your fault.”

Summer felt a rage inside of her that she had never experienced before. She jumped up, her arms extended, and felt the fire whipping wildly around her body. A burning sensation shot up her arms as more marks were added to her wielders tattoo.

Damien gasped. “Impossible.”

“I've had enough of you!” she screamed. A wave of fire burst forward and knocked Damien to the ground. “You will not hurt the people I care about or take any more innocent lives.”

With each word she spoke a wave of fire crashed into Damien. It pushed him back further and further until his body slammed into the wall.

“I never wanted to hurt them! You made me. Please," he said, extending his hands. “I'm your brother. We're family.”

“I found my family,” she said. “And you'll never understand what they did for me.”

Summer stalked towards him. Damien was looking around frantically. He glanced at the ceiling, stopped moving, and smiled.

“Too bad most of the pillars were taken out,” he said. “Good bye.”

Damien held his hands up and shot fire directly at the center of the ceiling. The whole thing began to shake as big pieces of stone fell.

Summer's eyes locked with his for a brief moment before she turned to her friends. Ash was knocked unconscious and Petar was holding Tracy. She had no idea where Nora was or if she was even alive.

A loud crack echoed through the crumbling room. She looked up and let out a scream as the roof came falling down.

Summer suddenly felt like she was floating. She glanced at her body and thought she was dead or about to die. Her body had flames coming off of it as she moved to protect her friends.

I'm not going to make it,
thought Summer.

She caught Damien staring and wondered why his wide eyes were so fearful. He could easily escape this place.

It felt like everything was moving in slow motion until she reached Ash. The magic was urging her to hurry; to push forward
.
She did as she was told and found herself gathered around all her friends. They were staring at her in shock and amazement.