Soul Bonds

24. Ya'll totally saw this coming, right?

Owen could easily see Victor was holding back. He would need time to come to terms with what happened. North's wolf slowly stood. Baby bird Sang teetered precariously on the top of his head.

The wolf paced, his nose skimming along the ashes until he started pawing at a spot. Victor came over and lifted a barely recognizable lump of metal from the ground.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Princess. It's been yours for a long time now. I should have given it to you a week ago. I'll get you a new one." He paused. "Why would you want this one? It's melted and deformed."

"Wait," Nathan interrupted. "You can hear her?"

"Yes." Victor paused a moment to consider his words. "Once I shifted back, it became harder, like she's using a higher frequency, but she's there." Victor ran a finger down Sang's feathered back, then slid the medal from his necklace into his pocket.

"You're sure?" He asked her.

He shifted. The baby bird he was previously had been replaced with the adult form. His feathers were still white, but now gave the impression of a white hot flame. Each movement of his long neck or graceful wings scattered a shower of sparks. He spread his wings and in a moment was gliding his way up the quarry wall, heading to where they had left Marie and Kota.

"A phoenix," Sean murmured while watching Victor disappear from sight. "They have a wolf and a phoenix."

"Presumably, we all do," Owen replied. "If Victor is any indication."

The expression on Luke's face and the excitement shooting from him through the bonds was enough to bring North back from the mental hole he had dug himself after the crack of gunshot. He shifted, ready to start yelling at his brother's stupidity and cluelessness when he was painfully distracted by tiny bird talons digging into his scalp, as Sang tried to keep her perch.

Gabriel was quick enough to get a picture before Sean scooped her up and checked her over while cooing at her.

"As I'm sure North was about to state," Owen said, turning to face his brothers, "we have very little information right now. However, based on most mythology surrounding the Phoenix that I can recall, I would be very happy if no one else ever gained that form."

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but Owen sliced a hand through the air. "This is something we can discuss at a much later date. We have enough to deal with now.

"North, Sean, please take Sang to the Griffin residence. Once she has shifted back, and you have checked her over, we will need you back here, Sean. North, since I know you would currently ignore any orders to the contrary, please stay with Sang."

North gave an affirmative grunt then shifted back to his wolf. Sean carefully placed Sang between North's shoulders and then shifted. They set off up the path out of the quarry.

"Gentlemen," Owen addressed the rest of his brothers, while staring in the direction Victor had gone, "I believe we have something to deal with above."

"So...," Luke drawled, "how do we get back up there?"

**********

Kota watched as his brothers went down the side of the quarry. He and Marie still lay where they had fallen when he had crashed into her. She had rolled onto her back and was staring into the sky, quietly laughing.

Once again, he had failed Sang. He had moved too slowly and now she and Victor were gone. He knew he needed to get up and accept the consequences, but the longer he stayed still, the longer he could live in a world that contained Sang and Victor.

The rush of wings had him sitting up in time to see a large white bird glide up the side of the quarry. As it cleared the edge, the bird flared out its wings to descend, but it was Victor who touched the ground.