The Death Breathers

Chapter VIII

Finally, the day comes, and Jay is teaching me the most important skill an Avis can do.

"I'm gonna be teaching you, how to do this."

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath in and simply turns into a jay.

He turns back into his normal self.

"It's for disguise. Otherwise, the Death Beholders will see you."

"That's a good way of camouflage."

"I know, right?" He says. "So, because you're a Phoenix, you're all fiery and bright. You will need to be able to change your bird form into something else. All of us can do it as well though."

"Whoa."

"But first, we're just gonna work on changing into your normal bird."

"Okay," I say. "I feel like I'm gonna stay half bird if I do this wrong."

"No, I promise you, you will be fine. Just have a picture of a Phoenix in your mind, and imagine yourself turning into that bird."

A picture of a phoenix with fiery plumage comes into my head. I imagine it's feathers to be very soft, and very delicate.

"Have you got it?" His voice breaks my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah."

"Okay. Now I want you to imagine you are that bird. Close your eyes very tightly. You got them closed?"

"Yes," I say, squeezing them as tight as possible.

"Take a deep breath. As you breathe in, focus on only being the bird. Only that."

I take the deepest breath I can possibly muster, and imagine myself as a phoenix.

"Oh, it's amazing! Well done Phoenix!"

"Did I do it?"

"Heck yeah."

I open my eyes. I'm quite low on the ground. I have to look up at Jay.

"Am I... am I still a phoenix?"

"Yeah. Do you want to see Sparrow?"

"Of course!"

He crouches on the ground with his arm out and I hop on it.

He walks me over to Sparrow, and she is absolutely delighted.

"She's done so well already!"

"It was her first go," he says.

"Yeah, it was," I say.

"You've done really well."

"Thank you."

He puts me back on the ground and I turn back to myself.

"Wow, it's so weird being something... different." I say.

"Do you want to try a bit of flying now?" he asks.

"Of course!" I say. We walk back to our training area.

All of a sudden I get searing pain in my hand. It's right where my tattoo is.

I curse loudly. And I scream.

"Whoa, what's up?"

"My hand, it's so painful..."

He takes my hand and looks at it. The skin around the tattoo is crimson.

"...oh," he says.

"What is it?"

"Mynah."

"Isn't that-" he cuts me off.

"Yes, it's the boy who lives with his grandmother. This means this is his time to join us."

"Will you come with me?"

"I'm sorry. But this is your time, not mine. It's okay. The Avis spirit will guide you there."

"If you're so sure..."

"Just close your eyes and let the spirit guide you. Seriously."

"Okay."

I close my eyes and feel myself being lifted upward, like when Sparrow teleported me to the Avis Camp the first time.

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

When I open my eyes, I'm in a bedroom standing next to someone's most loved one... who's dead.

I feel really sorry for him. This is his only family. And it's just been taken from him.

Like me... and how my entire life was just whisked away from my hands.

"Hey Gran, I'm leaving for school!"

That must be Mynah. His speech breaks my thoughts.

"Gran?"

I hear the thud of his bag as he takes it off and searches for his loved one.

He finds me and her.

He narrows his eyebrows.

"What have you done?"

I clear my throat.

"I haven't done anything, I swear."

"How did she die then?"

"It was the Death Breathers."

"What?" He asks.

"Can I see your hand for a second?"

"Uh, sure." He sticks it out and I see the mark.

So I show him mine to prove I'm not evil.

"You're an Avis."

"Why am I a bird?"

"Mm, you know Latin! That's good. But I'll have to explain things more when we get there," I say.

"Where?"

I smile and look at him.

"Your new home."

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

When we get back to the camp, I smile over at Jay.

He gives me a grin back.

"Come with me," I say.

I take Mynah by the hand and take him to his nest. It's the furthest one near the rock, on the left.

"Go up and see if you like it."

He slowly climbs up the ladder and looks inside. He comes back down and smiles.

"Do you like it?" I ask.

"Hell yeah," he says. "It's really cool."

"Hey, let's go and meet the others and make you a true Avis."

He looks up at me. "How does that happen?"

"Just wait and see."

______________________

Boom!

Hope you enjoyed the arrival of a new character! He's one of my favourites.

Also, sorry for the lack of updates for this book. I've been writing A Cheat Among Liars which you should definitely read.

Enjoy!
~ Sydney