Chapter 50 THE PHOENIX BURNS
CHAPTER 050: THE PHOENIX BURNS
I run through the collapsing tunnel, following the sound of Marvin's footsteps.
My body is screaming at me to stop. Every breath brings new pain from my broken ribs. My vision keeps blurring from the concussion.
But I keep moving.
The tunnel opens into another chamber. Smaller than the last one. No exits except the way I came in.
Marvin is there, waiting.
"You followed me," he says. "That's stupid."
"Yeah well stupidity is kind of my thing lately."
He didn't laugh, he just charges towards me aggressively.
I try to dodge but I'm too slow. His fist connects with my jaw and stars explode in my eyes.
I hit the ground hardly.
"Stay down this time," he orders.
I push myself up with my shaking arms. "No."
"You're going to die here."
"Maybe. But so are you."
He kicks me hard in the ribs. The broken ones. I scream and curl into a ball.
"That's better. On the ground where you belong."
I force myself to stand but my legs wobble.
"Why won't you stay down?" he roars, genuine confusion in his voice.
"Because they're worth fighting for. Something you'll never understand."
"Love makes you weak."
"No. It makes me strong enough to keep getting up."
I swing at him. He blocks easily and grabs my wrist. Then he twists.
The snap is audible.
My arm breaks and I scream again. The pain is so intense that I almost black out.
"That's three broken bones now," Marvin says, almost clinical. "How many before you admit defeat?"
"All of them if I have to."
He shoves me backward. I stumble, barely catching myself on the wall.
"That she-wolf who rejected you," I gasp out. "She was right about you."
His expression darkens. "Shut up."
"You were never worth her time. Never worth anyone's time."
"I said shut up."
"And now you're going to die knowing that nobody ever loved you."
He rushes me. His hands wrap around my throat, squeezing it.
"Not her. Not anyone. You'll die alone. Unloved and forgotten."
His grip tightens.
But his rage is making him sloppy. He's emotional, not tactical.
I hit my knee up hard into his groin.
He gasps and his grip loosens just enough.
I twist out of his hold and stumble backward.
We're both breathing hard now. Both bleeding. Both at the edge of collapse.
The chamber shakes again and more stone falls.
"We're going to die here anyway," Marvin says. "Both of us, buried alive. At least I'll have the satisfaction of taking you with me."
"You're not taking anyone anywhere."
He comes at me again.
This time I don't try to match his strength. Instead I remember what Kieran taught me about using momentum.
When he swings I step inside the arc of his punch. I grab his arm and use his own forward motion to throw him off balance.
He stumbles toward the wall where my chains are still hanging.
Luna entered through the collapsed tunnel entrance in wolf form.
She must have dug through. Her silver fur is covered in dust and blood but her eyes are blazing.
She leaps.
Her weight hits Marvin from behind, driving him into the chains.
The dark magic in the metal responds to him. They wrap around his arms, his legs, his throat.
He struggles but they only tighten.
"What is this?" he gasps.
"Your own trap," I say. "The chains respond to dark magic. And you're full of it."
The anti-magic field flickers and dies.
Immediately I feel my power return. Weak, barely a spark, but there.
Luna shifts back to human beside me.
"Together?" she asks.
"Together."
We face Marvin. He's trapped in the chains, his eyes wide with something that might be fear.
"You can't kill me," he says. "I'm immortal. I drank the essence of dozens of she-wolves. I'm beyond death."
"Let's test that theory," Luna says.
We reach for our power at the same time.
Her magic and mine intertwine. Silver and white magic mixing, creating something neither of us has made before.
Silver fire.
It doesn't burn hot. It burns cold, pure and cleansing.
"What is that?" Marvin whispers.
"Justice," I say.
We pour everything into him. Every ounce of power we have left. The fire wraps around him, burning away his dark magic layer by layer.
He screams. The sound echoes through the collapsing mine.
"You can't do this. I'm a god. I'm immortal. I'm—"
"You're nothing," I say quietly.
The silver fire intensifies. Marvin's screams cut off.
His body turns to ash. The chains fall empty on the ground.
He's gone. Finally, and completely gone.
Luna and I stand there for a moment, still holding hands, our combined magic fading.
"We did it," she whispers.
"Yeah."
Then my legs give out.
Luna catches me but she's too weak to hold me up. We both sink to the ground.
"Thalira what's wrong?"
"I used too much power. I burned out everything I had left."
My vision is fading.
The boys burst through the tunnel entrance. Kieran shifts mid-run, coming to my side. Alaric is right behind him. Cassian and Zev follow, both looking terrified.
"No no no," Kieran says, his hands hovering over me like he's afraid to touch. "Stay with us."
"Trying," I mumble.
Alaric checks my pulse. His face goes pale. "She's dying. There are multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, and magical exhaustion."
"Can you heal her?" Cassian demands.
"Not down here. We need to get her out. Now."
Zev tries to pick me up but I scream. Everything hurts too much.
"We can't move her like this," Luna says, tears streaming down her face. "She won't survive the journey."
"She won't survive staying here either," Kieran argues.
The chamber shakes violently. The whole ceiling cracks.
"We're out of time," Alaric says.
Cassian kneels beside me. "Thalira look at me."
I force my eyes to focus on his face.
"I'm going to try something," he says. "It might not work but it's the only chance."
"What?" Luna asks.
"Phoenix resurrection. If I can transfer enough of my life force to her she might stabilize long enough to get out."
"That could kill you," Zev says.
"She's dying anyway. I have to try."
He doesn't wait for permission. His hands press against my chest and heat floods through me.
Not the burning kind but the healing kind.
It feels like every cell in my body is being rebuilt from scratch.
My bones join back together. My internal bleeding stops. The exhaustion lifts slightly.
But Cassian is the one who looks worse now. His skin has gone gray. His hands are shaking.
"Cassian stop," I gasp. "You'll kill yourself."
"Worth it," he mutters.
Alaric pulls him back forcefully. "That's enough. You've done what you can."
Cassian collapses, barely conscious.
I can breathe again without agony. I'm still badly hurt but I'm not actively dying anymore.
"Can you walk?" Kieran asks.
"I can try."
He helps me stand. Luna supports my other side.
The tunnel behind us collapses completely.
"This way," Zev says, pointing to another passage. "It leads to the surface."
We move as fast as we can. Cassian is being carried by Alaric. Kieran and Luna are supporting me. Zev leads the way.
Stone falls behind us, chasing us through the tunnels.
We make it to a shaft with handholds carved into the wall. Zev goes up first. Then Alaric with Cassian. Then Luna.
Kieran looks at me. "Can you climb?"
"Guess I'll find out."
I reach for the first handhold. My broken arm screams but Cassian's healing gave me just enough strength to climb up.
Kieran climbs behind me, ready to catch me if I fall.
The shaft feels endless. My arms burn. My ribs ache. But I keep moving.
Finally I see the light above.
Hands reach down and pull me out. It's Magnus and what's left of the pack.
One by one we all emerge. Luna, the boys, Mom who must have gotten out another way.
Behind us the mine entrance collapses completely, sealing everything inside.
I collapse on the grass, gasping.
We made it.
We actually made it.
"Is he dead?" Magnus asks.
"He turned to ash," Luna confirms. "We burned him completely."
A cheer goes up from the pack.
But I can barely hear it. The exhaustion is catching up to me again.
Kieran's face appears above mine. "Hey. Stay awake."
"I'm tired."
"I know. But you need to stay with us a little longer."
"Why?"
He smiles but there are tears in his eyes. "Because I love you and I need you to hear me say it."
"You love me?"
"Yes."
"All of you?"
Alaric kneels beside Kieran. "All of us."
Cassian, still weak but conscious, crawls over. "Every single one of us."
Zev joins them, completing the circle. "For longer than you know."
Luna is crying openly now. "And I just found you. You're not allowed to die."
Mom appears, pushing through the boys. "Let me see her."
They reluctantly move aside.
Mom's hands glow faintly as she examines me. Her expression is grim.
"How bad?" I ask.
"Bad. The phoenix healing helped but you've burned through most of your life force. You need rest. Real rest. Maybe weeks of it."
"I can't. I have to help rebuild the pack. I have to—"
"You have to heal," Mom says firmly. "Or n
ext time you won't survive."
Next time.
Because there's always a next time.
"Okay," I whisper. "I'll rest."
Mom smiles. "Good girl."
My eyes close.
The last thing I feel is Kieran's hand holding mine.
And for the first time in days I feel safe.
Then darkness takes over my consciousness and I let it.