Essence of the Phoenix by Natalie Jones

Author:Natalie Jones [Jones, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-11-07T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15: Essence

“Are you afraid?” Xavier took Jayde’s hand and squeezed it.

“Yes,” she admitted, although her eyes looked hopeful.

Xavier looked down at the Visionary. The twins’ mom. She was sitting cross-legged on a black pillow that had tassels sticking out from all sides. The woman’s eyes, also completely black, had no whites and were like obsidian marbles set deeply within milky skin. She stared up toward the ceiling. Red silks flowed over her head and down her body like an erupting volcano.

It was the first time Xavier had been in the Visionary’s chambers. The room was unusual, and he wondered where she had gotten the silks, strings of gems, rare stones, and beads that hung decoratively throughout the space. They were exotic, not items commonly found in Stonewalk. Candles of various sizes and shapes glowed in clusters from each corner. The scent of lavender hung thickly in the air.

Xavier’s eyes moved to the flickering flames in the fireplace, and he wondered if it was enough to keep Jayde warm.

“You must go,” the woman’s deep voice growled. She looked up at Xavier sternly.

Xavier nodded to her once then pulled Jayde in for a quick hug. “We can’t thank you enough for this.” He tried to swallow the guilt that burned in his throat. He didn’t like keeping secrets, but ultimately, this couldn’t be wrong - not when it was what Jayde wanted. It was her life. Gale and Rory would disagree, and he wasn’t quite ready to face their disapproval, but he had to consider what was necessary and right - not just for two of his friends, but for all of the Defectors and Jayde.

“You don’t need to thank me.” Jayde hugged him back. She already felt closer to the man. “I want to do this. I need to do it.” Jayde thought of her mom. She felt like she was back there, in her human house as a child when her mother had rocked her on that rainy night before the car accident. She closed her eyes. She heard her mother's voice. Do you believe in magic? Her eyes snapped open. “I’ll see you soon, Xavier.” She stepped away from him and turned to face the Visionary.

Xavier left quietly, and once the door closed, the Visionary pointed to a navy blue pillow near her own. Jayde stared at the woman’s long, slender finger. She approached hesitantly, avoiding the woman’s pure black eyes. Jayde’s stomach twisted. The woman, her eyes, the room, it all seemed supernatural, and the feeling that there was an other-worldly presence lingered in a place she couldn’t quite touch with her thoughts. Her inner voice spoke to her, urging her to run just as it had when she looked for the mountain lion. And just like she had done then, she ignored the warning. She would no longer be controlled by that fear.

“You must sit, child,” the woman’s voice was simultaneously shrill and hollow like it had been spoken from another dimension. It scraped the inside of Jayde’s mind, and she covered her ears.

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