Enflame (Insight #6)(13)
“Look, I don’t who has you under their power, but it’s not me. I didn’t call you. Leave.”
He scowled. “I am not under Skylynn’s power. She’s a thief,” he said so sharply that a chill eased down my spine.
“How is she a thief?”
“She stole my ashes, my way back.”
“Then she doesn’t want you back. That tells me I shouldn’t trust you.”
“No. She doesn’t want me, and I don’t want her, but that is not why she took them. She wants my help.”
“With?”
“Apparently she knows where to find my brother, or she thinks you will lead me to him,” he said as his gaze melted over me.
“That’s a change in perspective.” I said narrowing my stare. Before he had no idea what Skylynn wanted.
He glanced to my medallion. “It’s a hope I refuse to grasp until I see it with my own eyes.” He looked human again. Sad about some past, some long lost brother. What I had to do with that was lost on me.
“All right then, Mate,” he said walking away from me, still holding my energy in the palm of his hands. “Take it in slowly. It’s powerful.”
I started to edge backwards to the door. Two steps back, I found myself paralyzed once again.
“Stay put,” Phoenix threw over his shoulder like I was some untrained puppy or something. That infuriated me, which caused a crack of thunder to erupt above the house. He shook his head as he heard it.
Frozen in place, I watched as the ball of energy in his palms began to swarm and then snake around the thin air in front of Phoenix, outlining an image of a man.
Seconds later, I saw who had been haunting me and I gasped with a mixture of pain and relief all at once.
Chapter Four
There was a burning smell that filled the room. It was nauseating because within that aroma I could smell blood and flesh. A painful groan made my heart sink. I struggled against my hold.
“DANE!” I screamed as his image became clearer, more solid.
Phoenix circled him slowly, obviously holding him in place with his energy, too.
“Well, well, well...long time, mate.”
“What are you talking about? Let me go! Let him go!” I bellowed.
“Not so fast,” Phoenix said coolly. “Dane...is that what you called him?”
“Yes! Let him go! He’s not a ghost. He’s a Witness now. He’s my best friend.”
The pain in Dane’s eyes made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t understand. I assumed he would be like Silas, some angelic being. I didn’t understand why he looked like death raised or why he smelled like it.
“Oh God, Dane, what happened to you?”
Phoenix raised his fingertips, beckoning more of my energy to him. Even if I wanted to, there was nothing I could do about it. A stream of my energy flowed from my body and danced across the air. Phoenix nodded his head, as if to guide it to Dane. As soon as it reached him, Dane screamed in agony, and the burning smell intensified.
Phoenix leaned in and inhaled deeply as Dane’s image became sharper, more real, less terrifying.
“Old friend. What path have you chosen this time around?”
Dane glared at him.
“Ah, not up for a chat,” Phoenix mocked. “That’s not your girl. Never has been, has she? What do you want right now? Be very honest. I don’t take kindly to liars.”
As Phoenix passed behind him, Dane winked at me. I knew that look. It was the one he always gave me in school just before he made a winning goal in the countless sports he played. Every part of me tensed and waited for his play. It was clear that whatever energy I’d given him was making him stronger by the minute.
As Phoenix crossed in front of him, Dane broke out of whatever lock he was under and charged forward. He didn’t make it far, though. I couldn’t see it, but there had to be a barrier between them. Dane couldn’t touch Phoenix, but he was no longer forced to stay in one place as I was.
Phoenix let out a laugh. “That was quick. I thought you had at least another minute or two. I asked you a question. What do you want?”
“You need to leave. We don’t need you,” Dane seethed through a locked jaw.
“I keep hearing that. But I was called here. Wasn’t sure why until now. She’s not yours.”
“I’m very aware of that,” Dane said, keeping his pace with the circle Phoenix was making.
“We are just going to wait for those firecrackers in your soul’s mind to finish going off. Then we’ll know what side you’re on this time around, mate.”
“This time around.” Dane smirked.
“Right. Last time I saw you, I laid you six feet under. Of course, the popular poll at the time was that you were possessed. Not really sure I agreed with that.”
“He was!” I yelled.
Phoenix’s gaze moved to me, even though his stance was completely focused on Dane.
“You were there. You agreed then, too.”
“I was where?”
“Listen here, I’m not really sure how Skylynn pieced all of us together. Clever, I agree, but, I would assume she wanted one of two things: for me to put him back in his grave, or for me to take you to where you belong.”
“I belong right here. Let us go!” I screamed.