Phoenix Fire (Book 2 in the Winter's Series)

Chapter Nineteen: Phoenix Fire

Thunder claps over my head and the scent of rail infiltrates my nostrils. Fat droplets fall from the sky in a downpour. As the droplets hit me, my skin sizzles and the flames dissipate. I turn my attention back to the agents in front of me. Realization flickers across their faces as the advantage slips from my grasp. My body is drenched with rain water and with the remaining fifty agents eagerly waiting to get their hands on me, a heaviness settles in the pit of my stomach.

Moving with hate I swing my leg up to hook kick one of the agents across the face, knocking him down. I turn my attention to the next closest opponent, sizing her up, I throw a quick jab at her throat before bringing my knee up and smashing her face. More agents rush forward and I back step as they come at me with punches.

The agent at the front of the entourage throws a well aimed punch and I side step it bringing my hand under his arm, I grab his face and use my forward momentum to drive the back of his head into the ground. I leg sweep the agent behind him bringing my elbow up to jab his face. There's a small distance between the next agent so I take off at a run before stepping on his abdomen and chest and crushing my elbow down on the top of his head and jumping off of him.

As I land there are two agents beside me and I grab their vest, one hand on each and force them into each other. Pushing forward, I'm met with a hand clasping my throat. I tense my hand up and thrust forward into his trachea with one hand up and push up with my palm into his elbow with my other. The pressure around my throat disappears and I cough slightly still moving forward.

The agents stand shoulder to shoulder with their rifles pointed at me. Not all are explosive rounds but the scene catches me off guard and I stumble forward. The bullets fly toward me, I shield myself with my wings and drop to my knees. The strength it takes to hold myself up from the continuous force applied to me, is exhausting. The last bullet to fire is an explosive round that sends me flying backwards and landing harshly on my back with my crashing into the concrete.

The air is forced from my lungs and I struggle to breathe. The agents are on me within seconds and I fight to stand up but am unable to. I'm assaulted by at least three agents; two of which hold my arms down and the other kicks me in the face, making me dizzy. Then the agent comes around from behind and puts me in a headlock. I try to utilize my wings for some kind of leverage but the agent behind me firmly plants his knee between my shoulder blades causing great pain and forcing me to retract them.

Another set of agents make their way toward me, one is carrying a bucket of water. Two agents have me by my arms and one is behind me pouring water on my skin to prevent me from shifting as the rain begins to subside. They drag me down into a musty smelling cellar room. The cellar is vast, seeming to span the entire length of his 4000 square foot home. The cellar holds up the house's foundation by enormous marble pillars evenly spaced out along the area. There are antique sconces attached to each pillar, providing adequate light, but only just adequate.

"Put her against the wall, chain her until I say so." Giovanni says as he rakes his eyes over my bare body. I dig my feet into the ground and struggle against the two agents, trying to get away. "I suggest you cooperate Eden, or your friend here will pay for your actions." He chides me from behind and I struggle to look behind me. They're dragging Bucky's limp body inside and to one of the pillars near me.

"Go to hell." I spit out at him in disgust. He responds by sneering at me and walking over to where they're chaining Bucky up.

"Wake up him, I want him to feel this." He says pointing to one of his henchmen who runs off. The agents holding me clasp cold, heavy metal cuffs around my wrists and bolt them tightly closed. The henchman comes back with some kind of medication in a syringe and injects it into Bucky's neck before stepping back. I pull on my chains as Bucky starts to stir.

"James!" I yell in relief that he's okay. He groggily blinks his eyes before looking around him. His eyes land on me and he starts registering what's happening. Ice cold water hits my skin from the water wheel they've rigged above me from an alcove near the top of the wall that I didn't notice before.

"Eden what's-" Bucky starts before Giovanni shoots him in the leg. Bucky lets out a shout of pain and I fight against my restraints, fighting to get closer to him.

"Do you understand now Eden? You do what I say and I won't hurt him, you resist me and well... you know the drill." He says nonchalantly. "Now pull out your wings." I dart my eyes between Giovanni and Bucky. I don't know what he's going to do to me but I don't want him to hurt Bucky. "Lets go Eden, you're wasting my time and I don't appreciate that."

"Giovanni, please." I say blinking away the water that is dripping into my eyes.

"Don't make me ask again!" He says, raising his voice. The vein in his temple starts to twitch as his anger grows. I pull my wings out slowly, wary of his next move. He jerks his hand and two agents come into my field of vision carrying railway nails.

"No! Giovanni don't-" I try to rush out before they lift me up and drive the nails through my wings. Screams of agony rip from my throat and tears flood my eyes. The chains fall away from my wrists leaving me to sag from the wall, my feet hovering over the ground.

"Eden!" Bucky says as he starts to pull against his chains. I hold my sobs back and try to ignore the pulsating pain in my back.

"Hush soldier." Giovanni says as he walks over to me. He drags his hand over my body, touching every part of it. Disgust builds in my stomach and if I could retch I would.

"Get. Your. Filthy. Hands. Off. Of. Me." I grind out, my upper lip raising in disgust. He grabs my thigh and jerks me forward, eliciting agonizing shooting pains to wrack my body. Colorful dots flitter in and out of my vision and I blink rapidly to clear it. I pull my leg away panting and sweat beads at my forehead. My body feels clammy and I don't feel like myself.

"Are you ready Eden?" Giovanni asks with a sadistic look on his face.

"Read for what?" I glower menacingly.

"You're going to kill your partner." He says laughing.

"I won't do it."

"You won't have a choice. Guess what a friend of mine found for me..." He says as he waves an agent over. The agent hands him a familiar small, blue book and my heart starts to sink. "You remember this book don't you?" He taunts me, waving the blue book in front of my face before stepping back. He stands far enough back to watch both Bucky and me. He flips the book open and begins to read the words that shatter my world.

"Truaighe." Desolation.

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Y'all don't laugh at my photo edit, I know it's trash... just kidding you can laugh, I did. (If you're wondering what I edited: The lips are a dead give away [don't come at me I know they're ew..], her eyelashes I made longer, her glowie bits I enhanced and drew further out, the background I added flames, and her eyes I changed quite a bit I made them more glowie {it's not a word, I know.} and messed with the color)

Action scenes are not my strong suit so I apologize if it's also trash.