The cottage never seemed like much, built from the same wood of the trees surrounding it and painted white to offer a bit of light amidst the gloom. Rows of rare flowers and herbs dotted the garden alongside the home, quaint glass paned windows dark in the midnight hours.

Sneaking back in always proved harder than sneaking out, though why, Phoenix couldn't say. The floorboards creaked a bit louder, the doors refusing to cooperate and shutting with resounding thuds.

The main floor, comprising of a modest kitchen, great room, and their parents' bedroom, left little to be desired--cozy, clean, and quaint. Maverick led the way to the stairs, luckily just inside the front door, that led to their loft bedrooms.  Norman Knight had built this home with his own two hands when he and his wife first escaped to the sleepy town of Treywick, the western and northernmost village in all of Braskey. He'd intended the loft to be the bedroom of the child they were expecting upon arrival, but when Selene and Elyo appeared amidst the trees, proffering their daughter with a demand--er, request--that she be raised as a Knight, Norman had built a false wall to split Maverick's room into two.

The narrow stairs, dark brown and polished, were thankfully silent as the two crept up to their respective rooms, Phoenix on the right, Maverick on the left. He shot the books in her arms a furtive glare before shaking his head and disappearing behind the creak of a door. 

Phoenix slipped behind her own door, closing it with a soft click and crossing to her bed. She plopped down on the downy mattress, dropping the other two books on the blanket in front of her. The sound of wood groaning beneath her froze her fingers on their way to her lantern--either Norman or Claire had woken and moved about below stairs. Gathering up the books, Phoenix stuffed them under her covers, climbing in behind them, and turned her back to her door.

She waited, and not in vain. Within a few minutes, she heard her door open and sensed her father peek his head in to see she slept. If he spoke to her, her "gift" would force her to answer in place of lying. Luckily, Norman closed the door, and Phoenix heard him retreat back down the steps.

With painstaking care, Phoenix reached out in the darkness, found her lantern and a match, and lit her room in a soft amber glow. The fire flickered, mesmerizing her the way it always had. Tearing her gaze away, Phoenix lugged one of the books up and open, asking Adonai for the information she sought.

###

The next morning, Phoenix's eyes grated as though filled with sand as she sat near the hearth, a fire blazing within. Cold wasn't an issue--she was never cold--but being near fire calmed her. After last night, she needed to be calmed.

Maverick entered with a yawn, throwing his arms up in a stretch. He spotted her, a droopy smile twisting his lips as he rubbed the side of his face.  "Strange. For some reason I feel like I didn't sleep well last night. Isn't that strange, Laina?"

"Mphf." She turned, opening her mouth to tell him what she found when a sound stopped her.

Claire entered, carrying the linens she'd just washed. "It's a frigid morning, Mav. Dress warm, and tell your father to hurry. He's late again."

"Can do." Maverick scratched at his thigh as he shuffled across the room toward his parents bedroom. "He's probably staring off into nothing again."

Claire stretched out the wash over a line by the fire for the clothing to dry, casting a glance back at Phoenix. "Laina, are you feeling all right? You look a bit peaked."

"No. Fine. Just didn't sleep well."

Claire smirked at her, one brow arching. "Yes, sneaking out in the dark hours will do that to you. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Phoenix's mouth popped open. "How'd you know?"

"There's not a thing in this house I can't hear." Claire tapped on the side of her head. "Even if you think I'm asleep. I still know what you're up to. A mother's gift."

"It's cheating, that's what it is." Phoenix slumped in her seat. "How come everyone has gifts that do them well except for me?"

"You have more gifts than the rest of us could ever dream of," Claire said, settling into the cushioned chair opposite her when she finished with the washing. "You have a piece of everything we have. Your hearing is superb, your instincts undeniable, and your strength isn't exactly normal for a sixteen year old girl."

"But I'm not allowed to use any of it! The only gift I'm allowed to use is the one I can't hide--the one that only ever gives me trouble."

"Laina." Claire leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee. "There are many who feel their gifts are unhelpful or worthless. They just haven't found their usefulness yet. Beverly Thompson's son has the gift of not needing to blink, and he didn't think that was useful until he joined the theatre troupe and discovered quite a knack for playing dead."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "This isn't like that, though. I can't lie. The truth flies out of my mouth whether I want it to or not. I don't have any friends. And when others lie, it hurts me, mom. I feel it physically." Phoenix her abdomen. "In here."

Claire's brow furrowed and she sighed. "I know things aren't easy for you, but you weren't born to have an easy life. You were born with a destiny and a plan. You--"

"I know, I know. I'm meant to right the wrongs and replace King Bainon with the rightful heir of Braskey." She bit down on her lip, her knee bouncing up and down as she fought with herself on how much to reveal. "But what if I'm not the only one?"

"Only one what?"

"Guardian."

Claire pushed to her feet, placing her hand on Phoenix's head the way she did when Phoenix was little. "I know it's difficult, but as far as we know--"

"No!" Phoenix leapt up, nearly six inches taller than Claire. "Not as far as we know!" She bounded across the room, bolting up the stairs to retrieve her book from the night before. When she lumbered back down a few moments later, Claire stood patiently waiting, accustomed to Phoenix's bursts of energy.

"Look here," she said, opening to the page she'd read before. "Here it says that they weren't all killed. It says they weren't all banished, either. This is what they're trying to hide. There are others, like me, out there just waiting. They're disguised like I am."

Claire examined the large tome, eyes tapering. "Where did you get this?"

"Does it matter?" Phoenix asked, but before Claire pressed, the truth followed through. "Mayor Leyera's basement."

"Laina!" Claire's mouth popped open in an O. "You--that's--Norman!"

"I know, I know." Phoenix's father rushed out into the great room, pulling a cloak over his tunic. "We're late. Maverick already read me the riot act. We're going." He glanced at Phoenix, standing stalk still in the middle of the room, to Claire, glowering at him. "Lain, it's your final week in the school room before you join your mother at the clothier. You shouldn't be late."

Phoenix perked up, beaming at him. "Yes. You're right. I should go." 

Before Claire could call for her to stop, Phoenix sped out of the house, much faster than any human ought to manage. The skirt of her simple grey dress billowed about her ankles as she charged up the road.

She didn't slow until she was on the outskirts of town, not even breathing hard as she strolled past several small homes toward the schoolhouse.

A dark figure to her left skipped along the road, coming to a stop beside her to match her pace.

"Is the little Laina on her way to classes? What a darling little thing she is." Aundreya Leyera grinned up at her, her onyx curls flowing freely about her frail shoulders.

"Little? I'm over half a foot taller than you, imp," Phoenix shot back. Aundreya sneared.

"And you'd rather be a giant? You're a freak, Laina Knight. Everyone knows it. Why don't you just wander off into Fangralee and let one of its creatures make you a meal? You'd be doing us all a favor."

"Why don't I wander into Fangralee, find a beornach, bring it back and serve you for its dinner?" Phoenix suggested, beaming down at her. "Although, you're so sickly looking, it may not be interested."

Cheeks pinking, Aundreya stopped in her tracks, turning her pert nose into the air. "You're a fool, Laina, if you think you can scare me."

"Then why is your heart beating so fast?" Phoenix called over her shoulder. A sudden, sharp pain sliced into her shoulder and she spun around. "What the hells?" A large rock sat in the road at her feet. "Did you just throw a rock at me? What are you, twelve?"

"You don't have any friends. No one likes you. We'd be better off if you were dead." Aundreya kept her distance, her large dark eyes fixed on Phoenix's face. Though often considered beautiful, Aundreya's features were twisted in an ugly, hateful grimace. "What does it feel like to be worthless?"

"What does it feel like to be miserable?" Phoenix called back, starting down the road again. A sharp pain that had nothing to do with the rock cut across her heart.

You don't have any friends. No one likes you. What does it feel like to be worthless?

Phoenix's shoulders hunched and she tried to press the pain away. Not a single word Aundreya said had been a lie.

So things are not so hunky dory for Phoenix it seems. Leave your thoughts on Aundreya below, as well as what you're hoping to find out next! 

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