Phoenix (Book Two of the Forbidden Trilogy)

Chapter Six: Summons

Allen

Sometime in late January…

When I came to, all I knew was that my whole body felt like it had been hit by a freight train. It was worse than any other hangover I’d ever had, and that was saying a lot. My head pounded against my skull, making even the darkness hard to handle. There wasn’t much from the night before I remembered… Smacking my lips and tasting the Sahara Desert in my mouth, I reasoned it could have been longer.

Blinking, I tried clearing my vision, hoping I would be able to see something in the pitch black I was surrounded in. It took several moments before I felt my vision settle and, surprisingly, I was able to see as clear as day in the darkness. Pushing myself up, I searched for some kind of light source, however the action had my stomach turning. Acid burned the back of my throat and I dry heaved acid.

What the f**k happened to me?

From the looks of it, I was in a barn. There was farm equipment scattered around. Other than that, it seemed I was alone, thankfully. Honestly, I needed to stop drinking. I was finding myself in worse and worse situations when I sobered. If I didn’t stop, it would end up killing me.

How had I gotten here? And maybe more importantly was, why?

Groaning, I pushed myself up onto unsteady legs and felt several of my bones cracking, relieving some of the immediate pain I felt. Turning to find the exit, my eyes landed on a huge, burly Russian leaning against the door.

Hell! What had I gotten myself into?

I cursed drunk me and prayed sober me could find a way out of this mess I’d found myself in. “How much do I owe you?”

The Russian laughed amused by my question. “You gamble? That’s cute.”

I was put off by his answer and snapped, “Why am I here?”

“Because you wanted a chance to get even.”

“Even?”

“Yes. With Kingly, Constance and the one who is ultimately responsible for your family’s death.”

“So why am I here then?” And what was the reason for me being stranded in a barn to sleep off a hangover in the dead of winter? I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the effects of the cold.

“Because you were changed.”

Changed? “I’m sorry, but what do you mean exactly by changed?”

But the fuzzy pieces of my memory were starting to come back. My heart sped up, my blood running cold as I remembered the teeth sinking into my neck before hell’s fire lanced through my entire body. Gingerly, I touched the area of my neck where I’d been bitten, but there was no evidence of a wound.

What happened?

Had I been infected with something?

Was I going to be involved with some kind of biological warfare?

How long had I really been here for?

“What did you do?” I asked accusingly.

“Me? Nothing, other than make sure you survived the change.” He shrugged.

Change? … Not infected… “The alpha…Nikolai, what did he do?” I demanded. “What am I?” I roared, feeling on the verge of hysteria. This wasn’t me! I had years of specified training which had been instilled in me to stay calm, to never lose my cool. And yet, here I was, panicking and it infuriated me.

“You are a werewolf now, buddy.”

I scoffed. Werewolf? Ha! He had to be crazy. Werewolves were only myths, folklore. They weren’t real. Because if they were, the world would know about them by now, especially with the kind of technology we had now. “Who are you?”

“Aaron, second in command.”

I started laughing. “Okay, Aaron. I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but there aren’t any werewolves. What are you on? Because, whatever it is, I need some of that s**t too.”

Aaron only smirked.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I will be leaving now.” I said with authority, hoping I could use my assertiveness to get out of here.

“No can do, buddy.”

Sizing up Aaron, I determined I could take him. He was the only one in the barn. Even if he did have some kind of military training behind him, I was sure I would come out the victor and escape. Right as I was going to engage Aaron, he stepped aside and the door opened and revealed a very large silver wolf.

Before I could do anything, or even say anything, the wolf lunged and took me to the ground, his teeth threatening to break through the skin at my neck.

The attack had been swift and sudden leaving no time for me to react. I wanted to fight, to throw him off even if it meant my throat was ripped out, but I couldn’t because he was there in my mind, forcing me to be under his control, forcing his dominance over me. And so, I laid there, helpless. And I wondered, for the first time in my life as I contemplated if this was the end, if Constance had felt so helpless when she’d been held down by Keith and his cohorts.

Why was she suddenly running through my mind!? Especially at a time like this?

And then, I realized it hadn’t been my thought. It had been his.

I cried out when I felt a searing pain lance through my mind and body as Nikolai forced my body to embrace the choices I’d made. I felt bones, muscles and joints breaking, shifting. I screamed in agony. Those screams turning into cries and whimpers as I was forced into a wolf’s body.

Never releasing his dominant hold on my neck, his mind broke through the weak barriers of my mind and I was suddenly connected to several different minds. It was like a network. All of them, now my brethren, reached out and touched my mind, welcoming me into the pack, helping me ease into my new body, to settle into my new world and reality. It was almost as if I was back in the military, back with all those men I’d once called brothers. It led me back to the guilt and the anger I felt towards myself because I’d survived when they all died. Every part of that anger, that PTSD had played a part in how I’d handled the cases involving Keith and Black Jack. Having this pack eased that gaping hole somehow. This bond they shared went deeper than anything I’d ever known, and I knew it would heal me eventually.

As Nikolai felt me relaxing into my new body and what it meant, he revealed what he knew about the demon who’d taken my family’s lives, and the overall plan he had for me. And, in lieu of that, I found a different purpose to my life. One I would be able to use my military training for, one I would be able to test every boundary and push beyond without fear of retaliation. One that would finally give me the closure I needed for every aspect of the family I had lost.

Celeste

I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought this would be easy! That I’d ever told myself this couldn’t be near as hard or draining as whatever Victor had put me through. However, I soon came to realize it was anything but easy.

Begrudgingly, I had to admit Nikolai had been right. Why it was so much more difficult, I really couldn’t say.

With Victor, I knew what to expect. With him, I’d been driven to the brinks of exhaustion because I had been so malnourished. But I’d learned to push myself through because, I had been more terrified of Victor than of actually focusing on and exerting my powers. I had been afraid of Victor’s retaliation if I didn’t do well, if I wasted his time and resources.

With Nikolai, though, I wasn’t afraid of his wrath. He had never given me any reason to fear him. Therefore, I was able to focus more on my actual training, and he had been right when he’d said it would be draining of mind, body and spirit. I was bone tired after every session and I wondered if asking for a break would be unacceptable.

I cried out when Nikolai broke through my mind yet again and brought me to my knees with a spell that moved the very earth from under my feet. I felt being an elemental, Nikolai shouldn’t exhibit such ease of breaking through mind barriers. Could he also be a weak controller? “Celeste, you need to focus,” Nikolai scolded.

“I thought you were just an elemental?” I bit back, clutching my head, angry at him. Furious with myself. Disappointed with Victor for making me believe I had ever been ready for a real fight. Frustrated with this whole situation in general.

“You learn things when you’re around controllers,” he explained a bit shortly, shrugging. “Besides, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can push the boundaries of your own ‘powers’. You don’t have to just stay within the confines of what you’re labeled as.” He studied me for a moment, his eyes seeming to pierce into my very soul. “What’s distracting you, Celeste? These past few days you haven’t been focused.”

“I’m tired,” I groused, taking a seat on a nearby rock and hanging my pounding head in my hands.

“You’re used to tired. You’re used to exhaustion.” He countered knowingly.

“This is different. Like you said it would be.”

“How so?” he pressed. When I didn’t answer, he pushed harder. “If you’re to succeed in your endeavors to become Constance, you need to trust me, Celeste.”

I shook my head, not wanting to give him any more fuel to add to the fire. He’d already poked holes in Victor’s character and intentions. But I wasn’t so ready to believe them yet. Victor had been the only individual I’d known. Had been the only one to ever show me any sort of compassion, until Constance came along that is. I was confused! I was stressed! I was spent!

I wanted to believe Victor, but I was starting to doubt him and his intentions for many reasons, one of them being his complete and utter lack of real training. Had he really wanted me to succeed in bringing down the Immortal Council’s empire? Or was there another motive? I couldn’t believe he didn’t know how to train someone, or how to acquire the necessary tools in order to do so. He had known Nikolai for years, had even spoken about him to me. He could have brought Nikolai in to train me years ago, because Nikolai had known Constance best. He was bonded to her for goodness sakes! Yet, here I was, being made a fool of, and I didn’t know why!

I was terrified that the little bubble I had grown up in and I was comfortable being in was going to pop. That I was going to be betrayed by the only parental figure I’d ever known. The doubt was already there, I just wasn’t ready to accept the facts.

A gentle touch to my cheek had me jerking away, slapping the hand which dared touch me without my consent. Nikolai’s expression was blank as he stared into my eyes. It was then I realized tears wet my cheeks. Ferociously, I scrubbed them away with the back of my hand, looking away from him.

“I can’t become her, Nikolai, because I’m not her.”

“No, you aren’t,” he agreed. “But, your life—and the lives you carry—depend on you to become her.”

“I didn’t ask for this!” I snapped, jumping to my feet, yelling at him. My voice carrying through the trees. “I didn’t ask for any of this!” To be Victor’s pawn! To become my sister! To carry her two disgusting, demon children!

I felt the break in my chest and more tears escaped. And I hated each and every one of them. They just meant I was weak…

I heard his soft sigh as he gently sat me back down on the rock before kneeling down in front of me. “It’s not fair.” He agreed. “But if you want to survive, you need to do this. Otherwise…”

Otherwise, it was back into that stupid concrete room with no windows, a hard bed, and no interaction with others beyond whomever Victor decided I could see. Which, would probably only be him if I failed at this. No more house filled with rowdy, obnoxious and vulgar wolves. No more freedom to roam nature. No more of … Life.

“She had a lot more time and a lot better trainers than I had.” I muttered sourly. There was no chance in hell I’d be able to convince anyone I was her based off my powers alone. And Nikolai had emphasized I needed to be able to do most of the impossible like she could.

“Better trainers, possibly,” he agreed with a shrug. “But more time? No.”

“She’s the same age as I am, Nikolai,” I deadpanned, folding my arms tightly against my chest, unwilling to be convinced otherwise. “She is by far more powerful, and only such power can come from practice. Do not try and convince me otherwise.”

“You have her all figured out, don’t you?”

He wasn’t asking in anger. His voice wasn’t mocking. Rather, it was a very quiet, sympathetic question. I kept my silence, because I knew no matter how I answered I would be wrong. I was judging her, but how could I not? She’d been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had been the one our family wanted, while I’d been the one they’d thrown away like trash. She had been pre-dispositioned for greatness, while I’d been granted sloppy seconds. Victor had done his best, but it hadn’t been enough. It never would be enough now. No matter how hard or long I trained, my skillset would never match hers.

Sighing again, he stood up and leaned his hip against the rock next to me. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and softly spoke. “Ulysses was merciless when he was training Constance, I will give you that much. From the time she could barely start walking, he taught her little spells. Fun spells. Taught her how to access her powers. As she grew, the fun turned into relentless exercises, ones that more often left her unconscious because he pressed her to the very edges of her powers. His methods were frowned upon by the rest of her family. Michael in particular hated his brother’s teaching. Yet, it made her strong. Made her not only look beyond her own skill set, it also made her take greater risks so she could obtain greater goals. It made her not only think outside the box, but also reach for what was outside of it too.

“And then, at a tender young age, she met Gabriel. Their love, their bond scared everyone because they all knew it was true. Children couldn’t lie or hide a bond like that, even though the council would make you believe so.” He pursed his lips in disgust. “The council gave an ultimatum: declare the bond wasn’t real or die. Even at such a young age, both of them weren’t willing to declare their bond wasn’t real. But the families weren’t ready to see their children die either. So, a truce was made. Because Constance could reach such great lengths with her powers, she and Ulysses were able to make a distorted memory spell that broke their connection and left them oblivious to each other.

“Constance had to take it a step further, erasing her memories of being an immortal to hide from demons who hunted her. Both her and Erwin were made to believe that they were humans who had survived a terrible accident which left them memoryless. In doing so, she lost everything that made her an immortal. She survived off of mortal sustenance. She became weak. She forgot about her powers, and for over a decade, she lost her entire identity.”

This came as a surprise to me.

She and Erwin had once believed they were mortals? She had been able to cast a memory spell which blocked all of her memories since she was born? And she hadn’t practiced, hadn’t continued her training at all during that time? It sounded impossible! Because, if she was capable of that, then in theory, I was more than capable of such feats too. I had the base thanks to Victor, while Nikolai was expanding my horizons.

Victor had started my training at a very young age too and continued up until a week before I’d faced off with Constance. So, it seemed it all came down to the quality of the training. So, why had Victor chosen second best when it came to his trainers? He must have chosen them because they were loyal to him. He could trust them to keep me secret, so I could eventually emerge like I had. To make Victor’s plot come to life.

“You say not to convince you, but you barely know her, Celeste. You don’t know her, or what she has been through. If you do not want to be convinced, to be told her story so you can eventually convince others you are her, then it leads me to the question: do you really want to be free?”

Before I could even contemplate the question, Erwin morphed from the trees, a somber look in his eyes. Nikolai’s attention immediately sharpened on Erwin, an unspoken question hanging in the air between the two alphas. “It finally came.” Erwin held up an envelope.

“We have finally been summoned.” Nikolai sighed heavily. “When?”

“A week from today.”

My blood ran cold. A week from today we would be facing the council. A week from today, I would have to be convincing enough to fool the most powerful beings into believing I was indeed Constance.

I couldn’t help the dread that consumed me.

I wasn’t ready, but I had to be.

Nikolai had asked if I really wanted to be free, and the answer to that was yes. There was no other option. I had to become Constance. I had to get over this prejudice and fear. I had to put aside all the confusing and doubtful thoughts about Victor. If I didn’t overcome these weaknesses, I would fail. And if I was good at one thing, it was being emotionless and allowing nothing to penetrate my armor.

Nikolai had been wrong, embracing these weaknesses wouldn’t make me stronger. They would only make me vulnerable, exposed and feeble. I had to get a grip. Victor had trained me better, to do better. I needed to stop listening to the fairy tales Nikolai was spinning, because my life wasn’t a fairy tale. It was life. It was hell. And in real life, no one successfully lived by fairy tale standards.

What Nikolai was putting me through was hell. But I’d survived worse. I needed to stop complaining, to stop making excuses. It was time to step into the role I was supposed to play. It was time to become the weapon Victor believed I was.