Chasing Phoenix

Chapter 9

      When I woke up, I was in the ballroom of the Royal castle. It was dark. Moonlight shafted in through the long, golden rimmed windows. The only other light was a melting candle in the center of the massive room. The roof was so high up that an enormous silver chandelier hung gracefully from above.

I blinked, noticing a figure in the shadows to the left of the room. Struggling to my feet, footsteps echoed around the ballroom as the figure approached me. When she stepped in a shaft of moonlight, a lump seemed to form in my throat.

"Mother," I gasped, hazel eyes widening in fear. I was still wearing a big aqua hoodie and jean shorts. They were covered in dirt and soaking wet. My boots were gone.

The Queen was very close to me now. We stared into each other's eyes. She was wearing a vibrant blue, sparkly dress, and her hair was tied up in a bun. A golden crown sat glittering atop her head.

"Why have you disobeyed me?" The Queen's voice shook. I couldn't tell if it was because of anger or sorrow.

I was furious. "Disobeyed you?" I raised my voice. "You betrayed me! You threw me in the dungeons because you thought I was sick!"

My mother's twisted look softened on her face. She looked away. "You are sick, Phoenix. In more ways than one. You've been sick ever since you knew how to talk."

Confusion racked my brain as I glared at The Queen. "What are you talking about?" I queried, eyes widening. My mother smiled crookedly. "You won't marry any of the lovely princes who visit our castle. All of them; might I say, are quite handsome. Most of them are kind as well. So what is your problem, Phoenix?"

I stared at The Queen, my heart pounding rapidly. This had been a secret I never wanted to admit. But I knew it was true. Drops of sweat beaded onto my forehead and I wiped them off, looking away for a moment.

"I'd rather marry a princess." I choked out.

The look on my mother's face made we want to shrink into a hole and die. Her face scrunched and twisted, looking appalled. She raised her hand and two guards instantly marched across the floor. I hadn't noticed them in the darkness.

"Don't worry darling. We're going to fix you. I didn't realize how sick you were." The Queen spat as the guards grabbed each of my arms. Terrified, I began yelling and squirming in their grip; screaming at my mother to make them release me. 

"Goodbye, daughter."

                                                                                 ***

Autumn and Sky sat in shocked silence around the kitchen table. It had been hours since Phoenix was taken from us. Autumn had at least found the strength to make dinner, but nobody was hungry. I forced a piece of steak into my mouth, chewing and swallowing awkwardly in the silence. 

Clearing my throat, I stared at the other two girls in the room. "So what are we going to do?" I set my silverware down, trying to make conversation. It pained all of us that the princess was gone. Me most of all. She was my wolf pup, I had turned her.

Sky messed around with the steak on her plate, pushing it around with her fork. Autumn looked me in the eyes. "We're going to take our princess back." She stated, her voice cracking.

Autumn's shoulder was still wrapped up in old, stained red bandage. She cringed every time she moved her arm.

"How?" Sky questioned, still not looking up from her plate. "The castle will be swamped with palace guards. Who knows what the Queen will do to her!"