bit back responses, feeling them too private to reveal
in front of Matilda. He had left me, when I was still a
child, before I could remember. I remembered Mum
telling me that when I’d ventured the dangerous question
of who my father was.
“So as to Phoenix avoiding you,” he said, trying to get
back on track. “He knew of the legends. He’d already
guessed who he was before he came to the Academy; it’s
why he begged Iain and Netalia to take him in. Aloysius
was preparing to crown and train him.”
I couldn’t imagine Phoenix begging anyone for
anything. If he’d known who he was, why was he trying
to run from it?
“And now they’ve exiled him back,” I said, my eyes on
the floor in front of me. “But I saw him not that long ago.”
“Iain and Netalia lured him back with the promise of
seeing you again. He thought it was a trick but came
anyway. When he saw you and realised what they were
training you to do, he came and found me. After tipping
me off with all of the information he could, he then left
for Orthandrell again. Iain and Netalia still have a lot of
loyal followers, and he was very aware that his being in
the state was a danger to his life.”
He’d known that Jett was going to overthrow the two
elders. But he couldn’t have known how long it would
take him. From now on, I’d entertain myself with the
thought that he didn’t know how I was going to be
treated.
“My swords.” I said through gritted teeth, prompting
the next explanation. I couldn’t bear to hear anymore
about Phoenix.
“Both of your previous incarnations favoured them as
their primary weapon,” Matilda said, bouncing Sky on her
lap; the child had been looking sullen and bored. “And
Morrigan has always been present. Perhaps he’s a
reincarnation too.”
The bird peeped shrilly as though he understood.
When Sky burbled and reached for him though, he
ducked under my ponytail, safely out of harm’s way... or
in this case, Sky’s reach.
“So that’s why you didn’t want Netalia to see me with
him,” I said to Jett, comprehension dawning. “And she
chucked such a fit about the swords... as though it would
change who I was if I didn’t use them!”
“She was panicking; they’d only had to deal with this a
few times before. All of the other times, either banishing
them or restricting certain items had worked... of course,
she wasn’t to know that whilst they may have been
reincarnations, the country was never in dire enough need
of a monarch. Their magic never manifested. None of the
ones they banished would’ve become King or Queen.”
“And now?” my mouth was dry. “What’s changed now?
What’s happened?”
“Iain and Netalia happened,” Matilda said, a frown
marring her delicate eyebrows. “They neglected their
duties to the country and its people. They crowned
themselves rulers of the land but had no interest in
maintaining it.”
That couldn’t be all, but I was reeling from too much
information already. I stood abruptly, Morri squeaking as I
almost unsettled him.
“I need to go,” I told the three of them. “I’ll be with my
friends.”
“Are you alright?” Jett asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” just found out I was the newest monarch of a
stricken country, but I’m fine. “Just need to let it all sink
in.”
“I’ll come to collect you near dinnertime,” Matilda said.
“I’ll try to regain your magic from Iain then.”
I nodded, and then clenched my fists as the need for
power consumed me again. I fought it down, and forced
myself to leave the office. My friends were waiting for me.
“What did they say?” Dena asked, concern in her voice.
I forced myself to look at her.
“Nothing important.” I heard myself say.
~Chapter Eleven~
I stood in the shower, everything Jett and Matilda had
told me rolling through my head. The water was scalding,
but it felt like it was scouring me clean. Morri had taken
his usual perch atop the shower
in front of Matilda. He had left me, when I was still a
child, before I could remember. I remembered Mum
telling me that when I’d ventured the dangerous question
of who my father was.
“So as to Phoenix avoiding you,” he said, trying to get
back on track. “He knew of the legends. He’d already
guessed who he was before he came to the Academy; it’s
why he begged Iain and Netalia to take him in. Aloysius
was preparing to crown and train him.”
I couldn’t imagine Phoenix begging anyone for
anything. If he’d known who he was, why was he trying
to run from it?
“And now they’ve exiled him back,” I said, my eyes on
the floor in front of me. “But I saw him not that long ago.”
“Iain and Netalia lured him back with the promise of
seeing you again. He thought it was a trick but came
anyway. When he saw you and realised what they were
training you to do, he came and found me. After tipping
me off with all of the information he could, he then left
for Orthandrell again. Iain and Netalia still have a lot of
loyal followers, and he was very aware that his being in
the state was a danger to his life.”
He’d known that Jett was going to overthrow the two
elders. But he couldn’t have known how long it would
take him. From now on, I’d entertain myself with the
thought that he didn’t know how I was going to be
treated.
“My swords.” I said through gritted teeth, prompting
the next explanation. I couldn’t bear to hear anymore
about Phoenix.
“Both of your previous incarnations favoured them as
their primary weapon,” Matilda said, bouncing Sky on her
lap; the child had been looking sullen and bored. “And
Morrigan has always been present. Perhaps he’s a
reincarnation too.”
The bird peeped shrilly as though he understood.
When Sky burbled and reached for him though, he
ducked under my ponytail, safely out of harm’s way... or
in this case, Sky’s reach.
“So that’s why you didn’t want Netalia to see me with
him,” I said to Jett, comprehension dawning. “And she
chucked such a fit about the swords... as though it would
change who I was if I didn’t use them!”
“She was panicking; they’d only had to deal with this a
few times before. All of the other times, either banishing
them or restricting certain items had worked... of course,
she wasn’t to know that whilst they may have been
reincarnations, the country was never in dire enough need
of a monarch. Their magic never manifested. None of the
ones they banished would’ve become King or Queen.”
“And now?” my mouth was dry. “What’s changed now?
What’s happened?”
“Iain and Netalia happened,” Matilda said, a frown
marring her delicate eyebrows. “They neglected their
duties to the country and its people. They crowned
themselves rulers of the land but had no interest in
maintaining it.”
That couldn’t be all, but I was reeling from too much
information already. I stood abruptly, Morri squeaking as I
almost unsettled him.
“I need to go,” I told the three of them. “I’ll be with my
friends.”
“Are you alright?” Jett asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” just found out I was the newest monarch of a
stricken country, but I’m fine. “Just need to let it all sink
in.”
“I’ll come to collect you near dinnertime,” Matilda said.
“I’ll try to regain your magic from Iain then.”
I nodded, and then clenched my fists as the need for
power consumed me again. I fought it down, and forced
myself to leave the office. My friends were waiting for me.
“What did they say?” Dena asked, concern in her voice.
I forced myself to look at her.
“Nothing important.” I heard myself say.
~Chapter Eleven~
I stood in the shower, everything Jett and Matilda had
told me rolling through my head. The water was scalding,
but it felt like it was scouring me clean. Morri had taken
his usual perch atop the shower
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