The Last Phoenix

Chapter 8 - The Keeper

Eli held her hand through the burn, he knew he would have to have a healer once this was done. He blocked the pain, and waited for the amber in her eyes to calm. It was time for her to know why she was different. Their father would have to fill in additional details, but he knew it was time she knew. He had feared her reaction, he had noted in his journals how different she felt. This would either help or hurt and he was unsure what the consequences would be.

A deep gravely voice came from her lips, he had never heard. Words he did not know, words that frightened him. Their father watched as not only did her hands heat, but fire began to form around her. He knew what she was, and for the first time in his life he was actually terrified. He could tell no one for now. The language she was speaking was a dead language, it was no longer taught or even spoke of.

“Lilith Phoenix, with everything in me, I need you to find your peace. You are burning me.” Eli looked into her amber eyes, and her pain was radiating.

“My keeper,” was the only words he knew before she passed out.

The room went silent as her body finally began to cool and return to normal. He was able to pry his hand from hers. When he looked down, he was surprised that there was not a mark on his hand. He looked to their father, the look on his face was pure pride. His father knew more than he was letting on, and soon Eli would get those answers.

“What the actual f*** just happened?” He yelled at his father.

A million emotions danced across his face, “she recognized you. You my son, are the Phoenix’s keeper. You must not tell anyone, not even Lyla. Lilith’s kind is extinct, and if anyone finds out what she is they will hunt her. You are charged in her protection, for whatever reason the Gods chose you.”

“How long have you known?” Eli asked.

“I had a suspicion when you found her, her name was an indication. I have only met three in my lifetime. The oracle once told me I would meet another one, and that she would be the beginning and the end. I still do not know exactly what she meant.”

“You know you will have to tell her,” Eli looked down and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

He had only been ten when he found her, but he looked at her like he would his own child. He never understood what it was that drew him to her, but he was assuming it had to do with him being her keeper. He knew from experience that the women in his life did not like how attached he was with his sister. He had ended multiple relationships because of the way he cared for her. They sat in silence for some time before she finally started to come to.

She stored slowly and suddenly jolted up grabbing Eli’s hand flipping it over, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It is alright, kinda some big news I dropped on you,” he smiled at her. “Now if we can continue without you getting angry, I would enjoy that.”

She nodded.

“Okay, so as I was saying… I heard a knock at the door and when I went out there, you were here. You were wrapped in this tiny white blanket and there was a note “from the beginning Lilith, until the end Phoenix”. We named you after the note that had been left. We searched for your birth parents and after a couple months, Father Benjamin and Mother Kana decided to keep you. When you were about one we noticed you would emit so much heat. The healers said you were given the gift of controlling fire, and then as time went by you received other gifts. You were my baby, I would never leave you alone for long. By the time you were around 10, I had to leave for training. And of course when I returned, you were still my favorite little sister.” He continued on with stories from their childhood and how he had always been enamored with her.

“And why is mother afraid of me?” She looked at their father.

“Because your kind is extinct, your very existence is impossible. She had believed I was crazy, and I am. For now, there are secrets that need to be kept to keep you safe. I will provide you more information as your training progresses. No one needs to know more than what we tell them. I will say, you have to get your powers skilled. You are after all a Phoenix. I am sure you can feel her in you. She is not a demon, and you are not a shapeshifter. You are one and the same. You have the same mind, and your emotions trigger both parts of you.” Her father smiled.

“Extinct? But I am here? I thought they were majestic birds from long ago, so how am I a witch if I am a phoenix?” She looked down at her tiny little hands.

“Because just like dragons, the stories have been changed. Dragons were similar, their spirit would grow and they took on the shape that we call a dragon. However, they were simply what they were. You could not distinguish them from the rest of us. Kane was the last dragon, he perished when I was a young boy. There was a huge ceremony for him. The last known Phoenix was Askra, and she passed away during the last battles. Her mate and another Phoenix Ruinith had perished in front of her, and her pain made her weak. Her spirit rose and took the shape of her Phoenix and she incinerated the entire battlefield. While she was not looking, one of the demons plunged a sword through her heart. She collapsed on the battlefield that she had destroyed. Where he came from and how he got close to her in the midst of the fire no one knows. However, because of the death of the last Phoenix’s, the demons had no choice but to make a pact. They could no longer kill another supernatural creature, but they would try. See the Phoenix were the rulers of our world. It is rumored that Askra was pregnant with Ruinith’s child, and that child would have taken over the kingdom. She had in fact confided that I would be an uncle and she would be giving birth. If the demons were to find you, they would try to kill you. The other witches and others would want your powers. If a Phoenix becomes ash, and their ashes are stolen they cannot rise. However, the ashes bring power and life. I am as old as I am because Askra was my charge. A keeper lives for as long as the charge is alive, or if the keeper takes their ashes once they have died. Askra and I had a pact, because long ago the oracles said I would need to train the next keeper. We agreed that I would take of her ashes, and I would live my life knowing one day I would be in charge of training the next keeper… your brother Eli.”