Reclaimed (The Phoenix Chronicles Book 1) (3 page)

“Am I going to get in trouble for using fire before I turned eighteen?”

“No,” answered Ash. “You can't control that. They just want to ask you some questions.”

She nodded. “Okay. I'm not that interesting but, you guys saved me and they let me get cleaned up. I'll answer what I can.”

Ash glanced down at her and then forward again. They walked in silence the entire way there. Summer didn't mind. She was busy studying the castle. It was good to know where everything was and how to escape. She didn't like to feel trapped and memorizing this area helped ease that fear.

They walked into the gigantic center of the castle which was all outdoors and looked like it served as the training grounds. There was different work out equipment, tracks, and old weapons like bows and shields.

There were also some things she didn't recognize like large mounds of rock and dirt with flags on top. All of it was strange.

“They stay in that tower over there,” said Ash.

Summer followed his line of vision as her eyes locked on a tall, menacing looking tower. The stone was black and twisted; like the building had torn its way up from the earth. The sight of it made her shudder.

As if Ash could read her mind he nodded. “It's weird looking. The place was an old prison. They cleaned it up and began living there because it’s so well protected.”

“That's...creepy.”

“Then you might find it very creepy that they sometimes stand on the balcony and watch us train.”

Summer shuddered again. “Yup, officially weirded out.”

She could've swore Ash smiled but it was gone as quickly as it had come. One day she would make him laugh. It might be years but she was hopeful.

The tower was even scarier up close. There were strange carvings on the bricks and what looked like claw marks.

“It's an old magic,” said Ash. “This tower was here before the castle. The marks are Elven and the scratches are from dragons.”

Summer grabbed his arm and put her other hand on her chest. “Please tell me that was just a really bad joke because you're trying to scare me.”

Ash cocked his head to the side. “Why would I joke about that? The elves are long gone. They live in a different world now and all the dragons were killed. You have nothing to worry about.”

Summer dropped her hands. “Well excuse me for not knowing. They seemed to have left all this information out of the history books.”

“There's books here about the history of the world that's tied with magic if you want to read it."

Summer leaned back and looked at him from head to toe. “You are being serious,” she finally said. She gave his shoulder a pat. “You need a vacation or something. Now let's get in there before all of what you said settles in.”

“I don’t need a vacation,” grumbled Ash.

He held open the door for her and followed after. Inside was just as scary. A faint, eerie light illuminated an almost black staircase. There were no carpets or decorations except for the pictures hanging on the walls. The more they climbed the older the people in the pictures got. At the top they ended with a man who she swore looked like Merlin.

Summer reached for the door handle and was surprised when Ash grabbed her wrist.

"These are a bunch of scared, grumpy, old people," he said in response to her questioning stare. "I don't know a thing about you but, neither do these guys so don't let them push you around."

Summer raised an eyebrow. She was under the impression that the council had the final say and deserved respect. Ash obviously didn't feel that way and he wasn't afraid to admit it.

"I'm used to the judgement." she gently pulled her arm back. "It helps to have a good sense of humor."

Ash sighed and pushed the door open for her. Almost immediately Summer felt overwhelmed. There were six people sitting in large, ornately hand-carved chairs. They stared at her, their eyes boring into her like they were deciding whether she lived or died.

"You can wait outside, Ash," said the plump man from earlier.

Ash scowled and slammed the door shut. The sound startled Summer as she stumbled forward.

"Hello," she said, the word coming out in a squeak. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Sorry, hi everyone."

A man, who resembled a crow with his long, beaked nose, tapped his fingers against the table in front of him.

"Summer," he said, dragging out the word. "What is your last name?"

She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. "I don't know."

"Your parents?" asked the only woman sitting in front of her. She had white hair and stark, blue eyes.

"Dead," answered Summer.

The woman tilted her head forward once. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Summer shrugged. "It's fine."

The large man from earlier stood up and threw his hands to each side. "Let's backtrack a bit and start over. Maybe some introductions would be nice." he smiled at her and sat down. "I'm Jasper, head of the fire wielders."

He looked to his left and the crow-man reluctantly stood up. He seemed to be the youngest and the one who least wanted to be there.

"Tolai. Head of the dark wielders." he turned his head away from her and stared out the only window in the room.

The woman with white hair smiled. "Fay, head of the water wielders."

The rest introduced themselves and Summer struggled to remember their names. She tried to associate them with some kind of characteristic they had but, Jasper had already continued speaking and their names were slipping from her mind.

"This must be a lot to take in," said Jasper.

"Two years ago I probably would have run screaming," answered Summer. "But after almost burning down a school and being chased by dark wielders, this place doesn't seem so far-fetched."

Jasper nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry we didn't find you sooner."

Summer didn't know how to respond. She couldn't be angry with him because she wasn't sure exactly how they tracked her in the first place. She also didn't even know they existed until today.

"Summer," said Fay, her voice soft and inviting. "How long have you been able to use your wielding power?"

She wrung her hands together. "Since I was seventeen so almost a year."

Tolai slammed his hand on his chair. "Liar! There is no way this pathetic, homeless girl is the person we've been looking for."

Summer was pissed. She had been ripped from her world, even though it wasn't very glamorous, and was brought here to a foreign one. Now she was standing in front of a bunch of people that were judging her for something she had no control over.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why would I lie? What can I gain by doing that?"

Tolai shifted in his chair and stared at her. "Maybe you're right," he finally said. "But we are running out of time and can't waste training on you if you’re not the one.”

The head light wielder cleared his throat. "She is allowed to be trained no matter who she is. If she's a wielder, then she belongs here."

Everyone except for Tolai mumbled in agreement. He huffed loudly and returned his gaze to the window once again.

Jasper ran a hand down his face. "I'm sorry. Tolai is right in that we are running out of time so I'll get to the point. Our magic is dying. We're not sure why. It's been going on for a few hundred years but, has recently gotten worse. Less and less are being born with powers."

"So what makes me so special?" asked Summer.

"We're not sure except that we were told a powerful wielder would come and shift the magic back in our favor," said Jasper.

Summer blinked a few times before laughing. "And you think I'm that person? There's no way. I'm lucky enough to be making it on the streets. If you guys didn't save me I would be dead."

"You just need training," said Fay. "We all did. Why not stay here so you can be shown how to control your power?"

Summer chewed her bottom lip and looked at all the people in the room. Each one had a different expression on their face but, all shared the small spark of curiosity. Even Tolai.

Jasper nodded. "I agree. You don't have to make any commitments. Just train for a bit and you'll have a place to stay for a while."

"I don't have any money."

"We have some generous people that contribute to this academy," replied Jasper. "You won't have to pay for a thing."

Summer didn't want to seem too excited but, she didn't have a place she could rest without the burden of using someone's stuff and feeling guilty. It would be nice to eat something when she wanted, shower any time of the day, and have some decent clothes. She was also looking forward to not being chased by the purple-eyed guys.

Jasper held up his hand and smiled. "Before you answer why don't you stay here for a week and see what we're about. Then if you don't like it I'll have Ash take you back."

Summer looked around the room once more before nodding her head.

"Good," beamed Jasper. "Why don't you get some sleep and Tracy can brief you later. You'll have a busy week ahead of you."

"Sounds good. Can I go?"

"Sure," said Jasper, resting his hands on his belly. "I know I can speak for all of us when I say that it was nice meeting you."

"Yup," said Summer as she quickly stepped towards the door.

She was relieved to see that Ash was waiting for her. He raised an eyebrow but, wisely didn't say anything. Even if he did Summer wasn't sure if she could answer him because the thought of what she could potentially agree to was terrifying.

Chapter 4

Summer laid in her new bed with her hands behind her head. There was so much confusion and chaos swirling around her like a tornado but, all she could do was stare. The ceiling was completely made of glass and the stars were so bright she felt like she could reach out and grab them.

Summer sighed. Tracy had been gone when she got back and Ash left right away. Thank goodness the door had been left open.

She had been in the room for a long time now and wasn't even slightly bothered by the silence. It was the first time that the silence was actually welcomed.

Just as she was starting to drift to sleep Tracy walked in. She threw a bag on her bed and huffed loudly. Loud enough that Summer knew she was trying to get her attention.

“How’d it go?” asked Tracy.

Summer opened her eyes and slowly rolled onto her side. “Weird,” she yawned. “A lot of information and a lot of expectations.”

“But you’re still here.”

Summer smiled. “I am. It’s hard to pass up a chance to be able to relax without being chased. Running for a year is stressful.”

Tracy sat down on the bed and pulled off her sweatshirt. The bright red tank top she was wearing was a sharp contrast to her golden eyes and dark skin.

“Sounds like you had a hard life,” Tracy finally said.

Summer let out a long breath. It was the first time someone had said those words and they weren’t laced with pity. She decided right then and there that, if anything, she respected Tracy.

“It could be worse,” said Summer.

“You’re very right.” Tracy dumped out her backpack and swimming gear came out. “We have a pool and a Lake. The Lake is usually cold except for like one month out of the year.”

Summer shuddered. “Water makes me nervous.”

“It should,” chuckled Tracy. “You’re a fire wielder. I grew up around water so I love swimming and it’s a good workout.”

“That’s cool.”

Tracy threw her things in the corner as they haphazardly fell into a basket. “We do our own laundry here or a cleaning crew will grab it once a week. The machines are in the basement. All the clothes you wear are yours.”

“Alright,” nodded Summer. She had never done a load of laundry before but, she would figure it out.

“Hope you’re ready for tomorrow,” said Tracy.

Summer bit her lip. “What’s going to happen?”

Tracy grabbed a pair of sweatpants and headed towards the bathroom. “Just dress comfortably and wear running shoes. I’m rooting for you to make it but, I'm not sure if you'll last.”

Tracy shut the bathroom door while Summer stared in shock. She expected the training to be difficult since she had no idea how to tap into her power. She was even a bit skeptical that she had any power at all. Maybe haphazardly lighting things on fire was the best she could do.

There was also the fact that she just wasn't healthy. Skipping meals and barely sleeping made her body weak. She was going to need time to get back in shape. A week wasn't enough.

Summer sighed and flipped down onto her bed. She looked back up at the stars and let the feeling of euphoria cover her like a blanket.

If I was able to run from those guys for almost a year then I can do this,
thought Summer.

She waved her hand. “Whatever this is,” she whispered.

The slow pulsing of the moon is what eventually forced her into a restless sleep. One that didn't help whatsoever with her exhaustion but, it was better than nothing.

**

Summer woke up the next morning to something hitting her head.

“What the…” a hard ball smacked her in the center of the forehead. “Ow!” She exclaimed, shooting up in bed.

Summer glanced around the room and finally locked eyes with a guilty looking Tracy.

“Did you throw something at me?”

Tracy tossed something in her mouth. “Just chocolate. It won't kill you.”

“Yeah but you woke me up by throwing food at my head.”

Tracy rolled her eyes. “You're lucky I even woke you up. Breakfast is over and we start training in thirty minutes.”

“Damn,” growled Summer.

Tracy threw something at her again. This time Summer was ready. She grabbed it in midair and brought it down in front of her.

“You're welcome,” said Tracy. “I'll come back to grab you in a few.”

She walked out of the room and let the door slam. Summer frowned, glancing down at the foil wrapper.

“What is this?” She asked herself, as she pulled back the foil.

Inside were eggs, cheese, and sausage on a bagel. Her frown quickly morphed into a smile as she downed the whole thing.

Maybe Tracy wasn't so bad,
she thought.

Summer didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it. She jumped out of bed and ripped open the closet door. It still impressed her just how big the thing was.

She tore through the different clothes and ended up picking a comfortable pair of black, loose fitting pants, a white tank top, and a grey sweatshirt. She was tempted to grab the bright red sweatshirt but, the thought of standing out that much made her cringe.

Just as she has finished getting ready Tracy strolled into the room. She had an easy smile on her face and was swinging a set of keys. She tossed them to Summer who was able to grab it while still in the air.

“What is this?” asked Summer as she looked down at them. The key was bright red and pretty large.

“You don't have your wrist markers yet so you won't be able to get in here if I'm not around. This key will open the door.”

Summer turned it over in her hand. “Why even bother with the wrist things if you can just make these?”

“They're very hard to make. It's an old magic artifact. After a few months they lose power and just turn to dust. Let's hope by then you can open the doors on your own.”

Summer nodded and tucked the key in her deep pants pocket. The thing was so heavy she couldn't imagine losing it. At least she hoped she didn't.

“Now what?” asked Summer.

“They test how in shape you are,” answered Tracy.

Summer raised an eyebrow. “And how do they do that?”

Tracy put her hand on Summer's shoulder and threw the other one forward in a sweeping motion.

“Picture this,” she said, squinting her eyes. “It's early morning and freezing. You're forced inside a small, cold room where you change into clothes two times too big for you, in front of a bunch of people that you don't know well enough to be seeing you in your underwear. Everyone is judging each other while trying to pretend to keep their eyes forward. You're then thrown on a field where you attempt to stretch and then run a ridiculous mile or play some sport that no one cares about.”

“High school gym?” whispered Summer.

Tracy stepped back and laughed. “You are a smart one! That's what this is going to feel like. It'll get better. I promise.”

Summer eyed her suspiciously. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I think you're cool.”

Summer continued to stare at her.

“Fine!” exclaimed Tracy, throwing her hands in the air. “It gets lonely in here being the only one.”

Summer finally relaxed and offered her a small, genuine smile. “I get it. It sucks being alone.”

Tracy returned the smile. “Cool. Now let me take you to the trainer.”

Summer nodded and followed after her. Whatever easiness she was feeling earlier had completely vanished. It now felt like there was a rock in her stomach as she swallowed hard against the rising bile caused by her anxiety.

They walked through the long, damp smelling halls and entered the courtyard that she had seen yesterday. Standing in the grass were close to two hundred people. They were all dressed similar to her and seemed to be doing the dreaded stretching that Tracy was talking about.

“I'm working with them today?” asked Summer.

Tracy shook her head. “No. You'll be working with Troy, a light wielder who will judge how fit you are.”

“Everyone goes through that?”

“Usually as groups but, since we don't have a whole lot of new people coming in it's just you today.”

“Great,” grumbled Summer.

She looked around the field again and her eyes fell on Ash. He was talking to a small group of wielders who, by their body language, looked nervous.

“Is Ash a teacher too?”

“Sort of. He’ll be twenty-one and the age most leave here is twenty-two. The council asked if he could be a mentor but, he still trains with us too.”

“What happens after four years?” asked Summer.

Tracy glanced at her with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean? You just go home. That’s it; your training is done.”

Summer stopped and waited until Tracy had noticed. The girl spun around and gave her a questioning look.

“Quitting already?” asked Tracy.

“Nope. I just want to know what the point of this place is.” she put her hand on her hip. “You come to this big, scary castle, learn some magic tricks, and then go home to the real world and try to get a job?”

Tracy grinned. “Doesn’t sound too glamorous when you put it that way.” Tracy walked back over to Summer and tugged her arm. “Right now we’re learning to protect ourselves because magic is dying.”

“And before all that?”

“You could work in the different realms. The elves always hire wielders. And a very long time ago the fairies did. The elves pay a lot but, the fairies pay in gems. Those are worth more."

“I just...what?” Summer pinched her hand. “Is this real?”

“It’s a lot to take in,” said Tracy, patting her head. “There used to be an introduction thing for new students but, since there’s only a few of you they might just give you the books to read.”

“I’m not sure if I really want to know.”

Tracy shrugged. “Your choice. Anyway, Troy is super nice. You’ll love him.”

Summer didn’t get a chance to reply. Tracy practically shoved her forward, introduced them, and took off towards the group of students that were standing in front of Ash.

Troy chuckled. “She’s nice.”

“Different is a better word,” mumbled Summer.

“I agree.” Troy put his hands in his pockets and stood next to Summer. “She has a lot of...energy,”

Summer nodded as both of them watched the wielders begin their workouts. It started with running and soon progressed to push-ups. The new people stood out like sore thumbs. They weren’t sure where to go and Ash’s yelling didn’t help.

“If you’re physically stronger then it’s easier to control your powers,” said Troy.

Summer finally turned to face him. “Let’s just get one thing straight. I’m not sure what I’m doing here or if I even want to stay. Whatever tests you put me through will probably be pointless so, let’s not get carried away.”

Troy paused for a second before laughing loudly. He ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair, his grey eyes glowing with amusement.

“Relax,” he said, lowering his hands. “I don’t want you to quit before you even start. We’ll take it easy and see where you’re at.”

Summer let out a breath and actually felt foolish for getting so upset. She blamed it on Tracy for getting her so worked up this morning. Finding out you could play with fire was difficult. Finding out that not only were there elves but, fairies too? Almost impossible to comprehend.

“Fine,” she said, folding her arms. “What do I have to do?”

“Let’s take a jog. Simple enough.”

Summer eyed him suspiciously before nodding once. She pushed her braid over her shoulder and waited for Troy to start. He jogged towards the edge of the field at an easy pace. Summer’s muscles didn’t need to be reminded how to run. She had been doing that for a while and this speed didn’t make her feel winded at all.

Summer could feel everyone’s eyes on her as they passed closely to the other wielders. She allowed herself one glance and was surprised to see Ash staring. His purple eyes were on fire as he angrily glared at her. She quickly looked away and decided that focusing on the path ahead was a better choice.

She could feel the sweat beginning to drip down her back as they approached the place where they had started. Her lungs were now on fire and her legs were protesting with each step she took. The only thing she could do was focus on the single tree ahead of her. Its dying leaves and odd colors were keeping her pace steady.

“Good job,” said a breathless Troy. He had barely broken a sweat, where it looked like Summer was dying.

She nodded and rested her hands on her hips. There was a slight chance that Summer was going to vomit if she opened her mouth so, she stuck to gestures instead.

Troy had let her catch her breath before moving onto the next task. It was a simple push up but, something she hadn't actually tried to do since her freshmen year of high school.

“How many?” asked Summer.

“As many as you can until your body can't go anymore.”