Kindling of Frost and Ashes (Phoenix Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 36: It Begins

Without Noelle, anything they did wouldn't be enough to win, but they didn't need to win right away. After all of their discussions, and Audra's random ramblings, Phoenix knew that they only needed to start with a distraction.

They found a shop one of the Army units had found refuge in, the owners sympathetic to their plight. Placing Trey inside, with Phoenix and Eric at his left and right, they deployed the plan.

It would start slow. The Army had maneuvered themselves as per the real Lieutenant Port's suggestions, surrounding the castle at easy access points. Each was armed, but not in uniform, almost impossible to spot on the street or in their shops. Many had even found their ways onto the castle grounds, pretending to be gardeners or peasants hoping for a coin.

With quiet precision, those on the castle grounds removed the guards one by one, knocking them unconscious and dragging them back to one of the bases to be tied up by those still hiding. By the time the sun had marked nine o'clock, not a single guard remained on the grounds, many Army soldiers having swapped clothes and taken their place.

"Now," Eric said to Trey, who nodded.

The sky darkened, a sudden cold front moving in. The clouds rolled and swirled, casting the morning into sudden darkness.

#

"What's going on?" Helena pushed open her balcony doors, staring up at the sky. "There wasn't supposed to be a storm today."

She'd called Noelle, Aundreya, Mygel and Roman up to her, promising a juicy secret. But before she had a chance to say anything, the room had gone dark.

"It's cold, close the doors," Aundreya said, wrapping her arms around herself. Noelle glanced at Roman, who stared down at his feet, which bounced around as though itching to run.

"This isn't right," Helena said under her breath, backing into the room. "This isn't right."

"What'd you bring us here--" Mygel began, but stopped as a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

Youlden entered looking out of breath, his eyes wide. Fear looked strange on his hulking body. "Lady Helena, I'm sorry to disturb you, but something's happened. Someone put a flag out on the wall that says Maverick Tremaine lives. The streets are rampant with rumors."

Helena swore, slamming her fist against the wall with surprising force. "Fine. We'll go down and make an announcement at once--it's the Army trying to cause dissension. All of you to the center balcony now. With me."

She stormed out of the room, and as they all rose to follow, Noelle noticed the faintest smile on Roman's lips, and--unless she was mistaken--she saw him wink at Youlden.

They're coming for you.

Her heart jumped, but she quelled the hope. She couldn't go through that again.

Besides, she still hadn't gotten what Aundreya promised her.

#

"There." Phoenix pointed at the balcony through the shop window. "They're coming."

On the same balcony where Roman had made a speech a week before stepped Helena, Mygel, Aundreya, Noelle, and Roman--exactly as they'd hoped. The doors shut behind them, but people in the street continued on about their days.

A loud trumpet sounded, alerting the city to a royal announcement. As it was unexpected, not many were milling about when Helena cleared her throat to speak to those in earshot.

"Keep it steady," Phoenix said to Trey. She glanced at Audra. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure." Audra pulled a cloak on, tugging the hood over her face. "I'll draw the traitor out, I guarantee."

"My good people," Helena said, but a roar of wind whipped her words away. Through the window, Phoenix could see Castor's tall, lean frame on the east corner of the castle, his palms facing out as he controlled the air.

"Eric, you ready?" she asked, casting a sideways glance at him. He stood on Trey's other side with his eyes closed and nodded.

"I said--" Helena tried, but a rumble of thunder crashed overhead. The boom held such force that many in the audience and on the balcony ducked as though afraid the sky would come crashing down on them.

Beneath their feet, the earth trembled--Altair's part.

Up on the balcony, Helena's face paled. She stared up at the sky as though transfixed. Phoenix didn't have to be near her to know fear flooded her.

#

"No," Helena said, staring upwards. "Not now."

"Good people!" Aundreya shouted above the din, her voice cracking with the effort. "We want to speak with you about Maverick Knight--also known as Maverick Tremaine. These rumors are lies--lies brought to you by--"

The wind died suddenly, and a voice in the crowd shouted, "Maverick Knight is our true king! We want our king!"

A second voice reiterated the cry, and within moments, a chant had begun. "We want our king. We want our king."

Aundreya reached out to grab Noelle's wrist, but Noelle pulled away. "What are you doing?" Aundreya hissed.

"We can't win this crowd--not even together," Noelle said, not meeting her eye. "You'll just be wasting both our energies, and we're going to need it if they decide to revolt."

Aundreya shot a look at Helena, whose eyes had gone wild as she screamed for the crowd to stop. Suddenly, Noelle's words had wisdom. "Fine. Let's go back inside where it's safe."

Mygel forced Helena in as well, away from the chanting crowd. "We need to get somewhere safe--somewhere they can't--"

"No." Helena pushed against Mygel. "We need to be somewhere we can see what's going on. We stay here." The thunder crashed again and Helena let out a shriek of rage, flying back out on to the balcony.

#

"She's back," Phoenix said, spotting Helena staring out over the railing. "Mygel's with her--looks like a few others, too."

Eric kept the thunder coming as Trey brought all the elements together, assisting Castor with his windstorm and bringing a hard cold rain from the sky.

In the center of chanting crowd, Audra pulled back her hood. She'd shifted into a new form--a form everyone believed would draw out the Ancient. Gone was the woman with dark curls, replaced by a male figure of broad stature. He had long, dark hair, sharp, enigmatic features, and blazing eyes. Phoenix had never seen him before, but she knew the form Audra had chosen.

Tremaine--one of the two Ancients the traitor killed and the first king of Braskey. Audra stood in Tremaine's form, staring up at the castle, silent as the crowd chanted. Castor had joined her, standing at her side, the wind blowing around both of them, creating an eerie vortex as they stared up at the balcony. Even from behind the mass assembly, Audra and Castor stuck out like a sore thumb, Phoenix could only imagine what it looked like from above.

Before they knew it, those on the balcony had retreated inside once more.

"All right," Phoenix said. "It's time to go."

Let's. Do. This.

"Hold on to your butts" we're heading in.