The Phoenix Series

Chapter 5

5

“Fourteen years until I found you, My Lady.”

The cave was so silent my ears felt full with the weight of it. What Sid said made no sense. The thought that I was this creature, that I was one of these Travellers, seemed insane. I tried to articulate this, but no sound would come.

“My Lady, it is true. I have Watched you for so long, and there can be no doubt of it. You are a Traveller, The Phoenix.” Something pulsed in the centre of my body and the fire flared, sending bright embers high into the sky. “See!” Sid exclaimed as he gestured at the embers. “Your powers are weak right now, but with knowledge, they will grow.” Watching the tiny sparks, I found my voice.

“But I have parents.”

“Yes, without your wings you were forced to enter the world through them. It was their love that helped keep you hidden for so long.”

“How?”

“Their Lights mixed and mingled around you, shielding you from prying eyes. It wasn’t until you approached your teen years and began to pull from them that I was able to find you.”

“So all those fights were me trying to find my wings, literally.”

Okay, it was a bad joke, but I was trying. It was a mark of how well I was taking this. As Sid pity chuckled, I ran through his story again. As strange as it was, it felt familiar. It held the same sort of familiarity that I had experienced when I first met Sid. And that was the other thing; if Sid was real, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was, why couldn’t the rest of it be real?

My parents had never planned on calling me Phoenix. They had a nice normal name all picked out for me. But my Mom said when they saw me she just had to call me Phoenix. Coincidence? And what about the little things: like knowing the phone’s going to ring or who’s going to walk into the room. And I’ve always had such strong feelings of déjà vu, especially when I travel. Over a lifetime, it all seemed pretty inconsequential, but, sitting across from Sid in this cave and hearing the story of who I really could be, it made sense. And if this story was true, what should I do next? I locked eyes with Sid.

“Okay. Now what?”

“You believe me?” Good question.

“I’m not sure, but I’m willing to move forward. I want to see these wings. Maybe if I touch them, I’ll feel something. Yeah…” I was almost talking to myself. “…Yeah, if I touch them, I’ll know.” Sid nodded. The same proficient nod he gave at the mouth of the cave. His voice took on a decisive tone.

“Alright, to action. We must gather the wings. It will be a difficult task, they have been well hidden. I fear that although their exact location is unknown, the worlds that hold them may be watched. We will need help.”

At that moment quiet, yet weighty, footsteps began to echo down the passageway. I could hear deep breathing and the sound of something soft rubbing against the rock.

“Ah!” Sid’s face broke into a wide grin. “She’s home.”

I was about to meet the owner of that enormous bed.