Authors: Michelle Love
ALYSSA
It’s so dark. Where am I?
The last thing I remember I was getting into the back seat of a black Bentley. The old guy, Galchobar, was driving us to another ceremony. The one where we were to transform.
Is that what happened to me? I transformed, and can’t remember anything?
Running my hands over my body, I find my wedding dress is gone and another, much lighter dress, has been put on me.
When did I change clothes?
The sound of water dripping echoes around me as if I’m in a cave. The ground is hard, possibly cement. It’s so damn dark. A dim light shines in the distance.
I suppose I need to get to that. What the Hell happened to me, and why can’t I communicate with Eden?
Pushing myself up to me feet, I find them bare. When I spread my arms out I find a wet rock wall to my right. I use that to keep me steady as I move towards the light. Something squishes between my toes, making me flinch at the thought of what it might be.
This is taking an eternity!
As I near the opening which is round, I can see it’s made from rocks; old, grey, ancient looking rocks.
Ouch! Crap, I stepped on something.
I look down, the light shines in enough for me to make out a circle on the rock floor. As I reach for it I can tell it’s a large metal ring with an old fashioned key hanging from it. My head jerks up as a loud roar fills the cavern.
What the Hell was that?
My body clings to the cold and wet wall. The sound came from outside, and now I think going out there would be a terrible mistake.
You have to go somewhere, girl!
Slowly I creep towards the opening, staying close to the wall. Peeking out, I see dirt, then across from me two huge cages swing on chains hung from the rafters of a giant structure. Much like an arena. On one side people fill stands. They’re far away but I can still hear their yells and applause.
Dangerously close to me a male lion paces back and forth, seemingly unaware of my existence. The large cat stops and watches something. I follow its gaze to see someone pulling themselves up inside one of the cages. The cat darts away, roaring like crazy.
Apparently the animal does not want the person to stand up.
“No!” I hear a male voice yell, and immediately I know that voice.
God! No! It’s Kyle!
The familiar sound of Galchobar’s voice fills the open arena, yet I don’t see him. “Only minutes until the spell wears off, and all will be known by the future Phoenixes. Will she make it? Or will all be lost? Once the cages open the lion will be able to attack them. Will the male Phoenix be able to handle him on his own and save the mortal?”
What the Hell is going on?
Chains rattle as the cat bats at the cage which holds my Kyle. Movement in the other cage catches my eye. It’s Eden.
What am I supposed to do?
I lay my head back on the cold wall and try my best to think of a plan.
The key on the ground has to open the cages. If I can open them and get the lion to chase me they can go out the gate I saw at the end of the arena. I’ll have to run faster than the damn cat.
I grab the key and take advantage of the cat’s preoccupation with hitting the cages and roaring as they spin, and occasionally clank against the other.
A tall, stone wall runs behind the cages, so that’s where I’m headed. Noticing my clothes, I find I’m in a knee high, solid white dress, with a haltered top. I take a quick moment to be sure I have panties on because how embarrassing would that be if I didn’t?
Yeah, they left them on me. Thank God!
The lack of shoes comes in handy as I begin my entrance into the arena. The cat is unaware of me. Until the crowd goes wild with my presence. Kyle and Eden both shout at me. I can’t make out what either of them says.
Focused on the wall, I find three stones which jut out. With my way up the wall figured out I’m almost home free. The first step up, I feel the wind behind me as the lion swipes a huge paw, just missing me. I make it up the wall and turn to look at the lion. He’s on his hind legs trying his hardest to reach me.
I stick my tongue out at him. “Not this time, kitten.”
Holding my arms out to balance myself, I walk down the foot wide wall until I reach the first cage which Eden is in. I smile at him. “Need a little help?” I ask as I wiggle the key.
He smiles back. “What makes you think that?”
“Well since you have it all under control, I’ll just run back out of here, and let you deal with it,” I say then turn back.
“Stop messing around, Princess, and get him out first, then me,” Eden says.
I turn back as the lion goes from batting at Eden’s cage to trying to climb the wall to get me.
So distracted the kitty is, I wonder if he has to take pills for that.
Kyle looks pissed. “Is this part of your damn medieval wedding, Ally?”
Eden shouts over, “I told you already it wasn’t.”
Kyle keeps glaring at me as I answer him. “Of course it isn’t, Kyle. God! What kind of monster do you think I am? Now, if you could try to swing over here to me, I can jump on the cage and unlock your door. Eden can you keep the kitty occupied while I do that?”
Kyle pulls on two of the cage’s bars, then leans forward. The cage slowly starts swinging in my direction. Eden taunts the cat on the other side of his cage. As he gets the cage close I jump, grabbing onto the bars I find I’m thin enough to slip through them.
Kyle’s hand reaches out and grabs me, pulling me to him. He holds the bar with one hand and wraps the other around me. I feel his face in my hair, then his lips on my cheek.
I close my eyes with how good his warm breath feels on my ear as he whispers in it, “God, Ally. What’s going on?”
His face is so close as I look up at him. The confusion on it does something to me. My hand runs up into his blonde curls.
“Kyle, are you okay?”
“Not really,” he says, his voice soft. The motion of the swinging cage pushes our bodies together, my breasts up against his broad chest ache for him to touch them.
This is wrong!
The swinging slows enough for me to pull my body away from his. I use the bars to pull myself to the cage’s door as I say, “I’m going to unlock the cages but don’t get out of it until I take off, letting the cat chase me. Then you guys get out and run to that gate over there. I’ll come as soon as I know you two are safe.”
Kyle crosses the floor to get to me, holding me to him again. “There’s no way in Hell I’m going to let you do that, Al. I’ll take the key and do it.”
I tweak his nose. “You can’t fit through the bars of Eden’s cage,” I say as I shrug my shoulders.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
Reaching out of the cage, I put the large key in the hole and turn it until it clicks, and the door opens a bit. Kyle catches it, holding it closed. He releases his old on me. “I’ll get the cat’s attention so you can slip out of my cage and jump into his. You be as careful as you can, promise me,” he demands.
“Of course I will,” I say as I move to the side of the cage closest to Eden’s. “Hey, leave that kitty alone you big bully. Let Kyle play with it for a while. Swing over here and pick me up. I need to save you, my prince.”
Eden laughs and turns away from the cat as Kyle begins banging on the bars in his. The lion moves right on over to the far side of Kyle’s cage. Leaving me open to switch cages.
As Eden swings, the cages are close enough for me to simply grab one of Eden’s bars, and slip from one to another without much effort. His mouth is hot on mine as he kisses me like he thought he might never see me again. Heat sears through my body as his tongue flows over mine, claiming my mouth. He has to hold me up as my legs give out.
Reluctantly he eases his kiss, and releases me. “I’ve missed you, Princess.”
“I can tell,” I say almost out of breath.
Our heads rest together at our foreheads. “My heart nearly burst as I watched that lion chase you,” he says as his finger traces a path down my stomach, leaving electric tingles in its path.
“Mine almost burst when I saw you in this cage. You about ready to get out of here and start our honeymoon?” I ask, running my hands over his back, down to his fantastic ass.
Yeah, we need to get out of here and consummate this marriage!
Eden takes the key from my wrist. “I heard you telling Kyle your plan, and I cannot allow it, Princess. I’ll do it.”
“Eden, please. I can do this. Let me.”
The shake of his head ticks me off. “No, baby. I just can’t do that.”
The lock clicks, and he almost jumps out when I stop him. “Eden,” I say, and he turns. “I asked you to let me.”
Although the spell Galchobar put on us has our telepathy blocked. He can read my eyes. They’re saying to let me do what I had planned on or I’m going to be pissed, and who wants a pissed off bride on their wedding night?
He pauses and considers what I’ve asked. “Alyssa, this is very dangerous.”
“I’m supposed to do this. I can feel it. Please allow me to,” I say.
Eden holds the door open just enough for me to slip through it, and says, “May Our Creator be with you.”
I place a kiss on his cheek as I move past him. Hopping out of the cage and running back towards the opening I came out of. The lion’s roar lets me know he sees me.
His paws thunder behind me, his roar sends heat to my back. I dart into the opening and fall back against the wall as the lion runs past me. Then I fly back out the opening.
Kyle and Eden are running to the gate as I see another lion released at the far end of the arena. It takes out after them.
I run at that lion as I hear the roar of the other lion which has turned around, and found me again. With that one behind me, I run straight for the other, and jump over its back as the lion who follows me crashes into him.
Seems lions don’t take kindly to being run into!
They fight each other while I double up my speed and run for the gate. Eden holds it open as Kyle yells, “They’ve stopped fighting each other, now they’re after you. Run! Hurry!”
A paw swipes at me, catching the material of my dress as it flies behind me. I hear it rip and pray my whole backside isn’t exposed. Through the gate I run, right into Kyle’s waiting arms as Eden locks the gate.
The tug on my dress where Eden is examining just how close one of the lions got to me turns my attention from the tight hug Kyle has me in. “I’m okay,” I say as I pull away from Kyle, and turn to Eden. “Are my panties showing?”
Kyle answers as I’ve turned my back end towards him, “A little. Why’d you put on red panties with a white dress?”
At that moment I realize the spectators are all cheering and applauding.
How crazy is that? I never noticed them until it was all over.
Galchobar’s booming voice comes from somewhere but again I don’t see him. “She has succeeded.”
Eden points up, and Kyle and I join him in looking in that direction. Galchobar floats down to us, landing gently on the rocky floor in front of us. Kyle leans over. “I’m not this guy’s biggest fan,” he says, drawing the old man’s attention.
“Nor am I yours,” Galchobar says. “Yet your connection to our very special creature means we must co-exist.”
“What does that mean?” Kyle asks.
A flash of light fills my eyes, leaving me blind. My body falls but many hands catch me.
What’s happening to me?
KYLE
I’ve been kidnapped and placed in a clear box!
Another cage, and the second time I’ve been abducted on the same night. Ally and her new husband have told me this is not part of their medieval wedding but what the hell else could it be?
And where in the hell is Laura?
After that completely fucked up wedding, Laura, and I went up to the patio.
Okay, I have to get this straight. Who gets married in an abandoned old as hell church that’s falling down? Also, who wants to take the vows my Ally has? She was never one for this type of thing.
My Ally is sweet and innocent. She’s not some theater major with a penchant for BDSM. Then this fucking guy comes along, and suddenly she is?
No way! I’m not buying that!
I can’t remember how I came to be in a cage with a lion pushing it around but I did. Ally saved me and her new husband, then it all went dark. And now here I am.
The scene in front of me is surreal. I’m at the back of a crowd of red, hooded, cloaked people. Trapped in this clear box, which is raised on some type of platform.
It’s night time. The only light comes from a massive fire in the middle of the congregation. Why I’m here is a mystery.
God, please don’t let me be a sacrifice!
The last thing I remember was hugging Ally, then she turned around, and I saw her red panties.
On that note, when I held her to me, she reacted. She’s not over me, not by far. As a matter of fact, I feel closer to her than ever. I wonder what happens if she’s married but decides to dump him to be with me?
“We are here to witness the new Phoenixes' rebirth. You are all witnesses to the change of power,” the complete asshole who officiated my Ally’s wedding says as he rises from nowhere up into the air.
Seriously! Who or what is this old dude?
The red clad mob in front of me begins to chant something I don’t understand. After three minutes of the mind numbing chant, thunder rings out, shaking my glass cage.
I didn’t see any lightning!
The old dude shouts out, “Your Phoenixes are here. They have served this planet for over a century. Their time has been served, and they are free to go home.”
The cloaked audience stops chanting, and falls to their knees, throwing their arms up in the air, they say, “Praise be to Our Creator.”
Okay! This is a new kind of nuts!
A horrible shriek sends my hands to my ears.
Hey! I’ve heard that sound before!
That day, at Ally’s. In the woods. I heard the same, exact sound.
Thank God the roof of my cage is also clear, and I can look up into the night sky. The moon is full, and there are two shadows which continuously move in front of it.
Shit! Those things must be huge!
The crazy people in front of me change their weird chant to something else. Two bright beams of light come out of the ground in the distance.
The chanting is faster, and I can see something moving in the lights. A tall pole comes from each one. I watch as the poles ascend into the air. My heart has stopped.
My Ally is tied to one of the poles, her small, bare feet on a tiny platform. A silky, white dress hits her at her ankles. Her head hangs at her chest, she’s unconscious.
I bang against the glass wall of my cage but no one turns back to look at me. My Ally’s new husband is strapped to the other pole. He’s also unconscious, but he seems to be stirring.
If I make it out of this alive, I swear I’ll kill him!
This has to be his doing! He was in a cult and dragged my precious Ally into this crap!
The poles with their tiny platforms rise high into the air. Another shriek alerts me to the fact the enormous creatures are much closer than before. And now both Ally and Eden are fully awake.
My God! What is she thinking? Please don’t let her be afraid!
Now I can see very clearly as the things fly over me, and the crowd of freaks. They’re enormous, blackbirds.
Just what my grandfather said flew around his truck down in Texas, making him crash into an electric pole, the day before Ally had her accident. And most likely what Ally and I saw when we went on that hike the day I asked her to go to Texas and live with me. What do these things have to do with this cult?
The chanting has changed. I can finally understand the words as now they’re in English. They’re saying, ‘Spirit to flames,’ whatever that means.
God, please do not let these crazy people send my Ally into that fire!
The giant birds come close, circling over all of us three times, then they both fly straight up into the sky. Horrible shrieks fill the air as they move away from us. Ally looks up at them. Her eyes are bright, and she’s smiling.
She doesn’t seem to be afraid at all. How is that? Is she even the same girl? Did that damn jackass give her something to make her so different? I swear I’ll kill him if we all make it through this!
The crowd is chanting faster, it’s driving me crazy. Suddenly, they all kneel. I look up and see one of the birds doing a free fall. Its back is coming down first, the long wings spread upwards. It looks dead as it passes in between Ally and the jackass.
Her eyes frantic, she screams, “No! Rodney, wake up!”
Rodney? How the Hell does she know the bird’s name?
A flash of orange, red, and yellow flames momentarily take my sight. The bird has fallen into the large pit of fire.
That bird’s history!
Once I can see again, I look back up at Ally. She’s crying.
I bang on the glass wall of my box again. I have to find a way out of this thing. She needs me to help her.
A loud screech draws my attention. Just as I look up, I see the other bird doing a nose dive into the pit of fire. Another explosion of flames erupts.
My Ally is sobbing, she shouts, “Why, Grace? Why?”
Grace, huh?
Sorry to say, she’s history too. What is it with those birds? I’ve never known of suicidal birds but those were really big, maybe only the giants kill themselves.
The chanting stops. “It is done!” the old man’s thundering voice says.
What does that mean? Did this cult somehow bring the birds into the fire? Were they on a rope that pulled them into it that I didn’t see? Were the birds evil and needed to be killed?
“It is time for the new couple to take the place at the top of our society. They have been joined in marriage, and now they will be joined in the unity of the legendary Phoenixes. We must thank Our Creator for this gift to this world,” the old guy shouts, followed by the crowd’s shouts of thanks.
More chanting begins as the robed people continue to stay on their knees. “Flames to spirit,” they all say.
What does that mean?
The pole Ally’s jackass prince is on begins to move forward. “No!” Ally screams as she looks at him with tears streaming down her face.
“It’s going to be okay, Alyssa, my princess. It’s time. Have faith. I love you,” he shouts to her.
Dear God! They’re taking him towards the pit of fire!
Oh my God, please save him. I know I said I was going to kill him but I didn’t mean it. God, please don’t let these crazy people kill him!
The pole moves closer to the pit, and I find I can’t watch anymore. I turn my back, leaning up against the glass wall.
This isn’t real, it can’t be.
I close my eyes, and will myself to wake up from this nightmare. This cannot really be happening.
I can still hear the insane chanting going on but my mind moves far away. I think of me and Ally walking in the forest, back in Cloudcroft. The way her hair smells in the summer, like lemons and honey. How her hand feels in mine. Small and fragile, like she needs someone to protect her.
Her scream pierces my brain, “Eden! No! Stop!”
I close my eyes even harder and put my hands over my ears. The sound of the flames bursting into the air can still be heard.
They’ve killed him!
There is no way I can turn around and witness this. It’s obvious they’re about to kill my Ally, and most likely I’m next. Thunder booms, and a strange screech rings in the air, yet I cannot make myself look.
“Eden!” Ally screams.
Why did she sound so surprised?
I turn around, my eyes still closed. It takes everything in me to open them and look at my Ally. Her pole is moving towards the fire. She’s looking up, and she seems unafraid.
It must be some powerful drugs they gave them both!
I hope they give me some before they do whatever horrible act they’re bound to do to me, so I don’t freak out.
I place my palm on the glass, wishing I could touch her just one more time. Hold her in my arms once before they take her from me forever.
Please let there be a Heaven where I’ll see her again as soon as they take my life. Please let God be real!
Across the sea of red robed people, kneeling and chanting, my Ally looks at me. Her eyes glisten with tears as she shouts out to me, “Kyle, don’t worry. I’ll be okay. I’ll be back for you, please don’t worry.”
She’s delusional, and I have to watch her go into the flames. I must bear witness to her execution. If I do manage to escape, I must be able to get justice for this horrible crime.
“I love you,” I yell but I doubt she can hear me through this glass.
“I love you, too, Kyle,” she shouts back. “I’ll be back to get you.”
The bottom drops out from underneath her small feet. Her hands must have been released because her arms dart out, and turn in the air as if she’s trying her best to fly instead of fall into the red-orange flames.
My heart stops beating as her body disappears into the pit of fire. “Ally,” I find myself screaming over and over again as I pound on the glass.
She’s gone! Gone forever!
My body and brain go numb as I fall to my knees. Tears fill my eyes, and my breath catches in my throat.
I can’t quit starring at the flames, praying she’ll come out of them unharmed. Though, even in my current state, I know it can’t happen.
Something dark, and large rises from the flames. Moving slowly up. I wipe my eyes to clear the tears which blur my vision. Standing back up, I watch as long, black wings unfurl just above the flames. The thing emerges, flying straight up. A shriek breaks the night air.
‘It’s me, Kyle,’ I hear Ally’s voice in my head.
It can’t be! I’ve gone insane!
‘You haven’t gone insane, Kyle. It’s really me,’ her voice fills my mind again.
I hope they take my life quick, I’m going crazy fast.
‘You’re not going crazy. This is real. Watch, I’m about to fly right by the glass container you’re in. Look at my eyes as I pass you, and you’ll see it’s really me,’ the Ally voice says in my head.
I guess if I have to be crazy, and hear voices in my head, hers is not an unpleasant one.
‘Simply not an unpleasant one, Kyle. I expected you to like my voice much better than that. Here I come,’ her voice tells me.
Suddenly the sound of beating wings pound against the glass walls of my prison. Faster than I can see, something huge passes by me. “If that was you, I didn’t get to see much. You went too fast,” I say out loud, and now I feel really crazy.
‘I know, this flying stuff is new to me, remember. I’ll come back by. They’re about to let you out anyway. You have a special place in this society, Kyle.’
Speaking out loud again, I say, “And just what would that be? Voice in my head.”
Beating wings pass by me again. This time I catch a glimpse of a dark, blue eye.
Could it really be her?
‘It really is me, Kyle. Now, some of our stronger male protectors are going to help you out of there. Promise me not to start trying to fight them. I promise nothing is going to happen to you. You are part of me, and they cannot hurt you. Since I fell in love with you, Our Creator had to make adjustments for that. Though I cannot see the future, I can see you are to be asked if you’d like to join this society as my primary protector.’
I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud. They must be pumping the drugs into this glass cage, cause I’m starting to believe the voice in my head.
“So, I have a choice?” I ask.
‘Of course, Kyle. Eden and I had no choice, we’re not completely mortal. You are, and mortals always have a choice in what they do. The only thing is, this is your one chance. It can’t be offered to you again, and if you decide not take the offer, your memory of this whole event will be taken from you. You’ll wake up in your bed back in Cloudcroft.’
“Where’s Laura?” I ask, feeling kinda dumb for talking to myself.
Maybe they need to pump some more drugs in here, cause I’m not all the way mindless yet.
‘She’s asleep in one of the bedrooms at our mansion. She’ll be told she drank too much and had to be taken home. I’ll implant some fake memories of a reception which never happened in her mind. Also, at this point, she’s not to be told about what we are,’ the Ally voice tells me.