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Chapter 28

Stone

Rosa hooksan empty jar off a shelf, dunks it into the bubbling liquid and secures the lid. Then she's thrusting it into her granddaughter's hands and pushing us towards the doorway.

"Go!" she hisses, "I'll keep them distracted for as long as I can."

"Come with us," Winnie says, grabbing the old woman's arm.

"No, Winnie, there isn't time."

"Then I'll stay. I'm not leaving you alone to face those bastards."

"Winnie Wence, I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Just because I'm an old woman, doesn't mean I don't have a few tricks up my sleeves–"

"But Nonny–"

"Winnie," Rosa says, staring deep into her granddaughter's eyes and squeezing her hands between her own. "This girl is special, we know that. And maybe she's the one to end these dark days we're facing. You need to find her."

"Stone and Azlan will find her. I need to stay with you!"

"Those two couldn't find their tits from their elbows." Azlan bristles at the insult. "They're going to need your help." She pushes her granddaughter towards the hallway. "Go, darling before it's too late."

"I love you, Nonny," Winnie says, throwing her arms around her grandma.

"I know you do and I love you too."

She peers at us over Winnie's shoulder, motioning towards us and I take Winnie's elbow and gently pull her from her grandma and towards the interior garage door. In the doorway, I pause, and turn back to Rosa, already shuffling along to her front door.

"Thank you," I say.

"Don't screw this up," is all she says and then the door is closing and we're diving into the car once again.

"They could be waiting for us outside," Azlan tells Winnie as she settles behind the steering wheel. "You're going to need to floor it as soon as I blow the garage door away."

"Okay," she says, blinking tears away from her eyes and turning the key in the ignition, setting her jaw in a steely lock of determination.

"Are you ready?" She nods, setting the stick into reverse. "Phoenix?"

"Born ready," I say.

"On the count of three – three … two … one!"

Azlan blasts magic behind us and the garage door is ripped from its hinges and flies away. Immediately, Winnie hits the gas, shooting the car backwards out of the garage and onto the street. She screeches to a halt, and for a fleeting moment I see the shocked faces of several agents from the authorities before all hell breaks loose. Winnie yanks on the stick, we fly forward, just as the agents hurtle magic at us and Azlan and I hurtle it right back at them. Sparks hit the car, a window smashes. Winnie keeps right on driving, careening us down the street. I lean out of the window and shoot blinding magic at those bastards, hoping to take all of them out. Hoping that means Winnie's grandma might stand a chance of running away after all.

Then Winnie's hitting buttons as we zoom away, so fast the agents have no chance of catching us.

"Any suggestions where we go next?" Winnie asks.

"Cross country," Azlan instructs her. "There're too many pairs of eyes – too many spies – out here in the towns and the suburbs." Winnie hits more buttons and half an hour later pulls us up in a turnout.

We sit there, all catching our breath, and then I lift the jar of potion from my lap.

"I say we don't waste any more time and take this damn potion."

Winnie swivels in the driver's seat. "You need to drink at least a cupful." We all gaze at the jar. There's only enough for one.

"Shit!" I say.

"You take it," Azlan tells me.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "It should be you. You bonded with Rhi first. Your bond is probably stronger. Besides which, you're a much better damn magical than I've ever been."

"Bullshit, Phoenix," Azlan says. "It should be you. You're better with your words–"

"Me?" I say, laughing out loud in disbelief.

Azlan glances at Winnie. "Well …" she says, chewing her cheek, "neither of you are exactly Shakespeare, but I'd say Azlan is right. You are capable of stringing more than two words together into a sentence."

"And you understand her far better than I do," Azlan adds.

I scoff again. Understand her? Sometimes perhaps, most of the time she drives me round the bend – defying me, acting irrationally, failing to think things through, acting like a damn brat.

Fuck, I really, really miss that woman.

"Fine," I say, not prepared to waste any more time arguing. "Is there anything in particular I need to do?"

"Nope," Winnie says, "just drink it."

I unscrew the lid and the stench of Tambric spice hits me square between the eyes, making me splutter. I hate this smell. I really hate this smell. It reminds me of things I've chosen to forget. I try my damn hardest to push those memories to one side and lift the jar to my lips. I've failed to ask Winnie about the potential side effects of this potion. Will it have my mouth blistering? Will it be so painful I'm screaming?

I peer down into the thick, gloopy mixture. It doesn't matter. I'd swallow scorpions for that girl. I'd eat glass.

I bring it to my lips, and tip it into my mouth. It tastes rank – sour and bitter – and my immediate reaction is to spit the revolting thing out. But I force it down, feeling it tingle against my throat as I swallow. Then, trying my best not to smell and taste the stuff, I take another mouthful and another until I'm flinging my head back and tipping the very last drop down my throat.

Swiping my hand across the back of my mouth, I burp and screw the lid back on the empty jar, tossing it onto the seat beside me.

Both Winnie and Azlan are staring at me expectantly.

"Well?" Azlan says, "did it work?"

I examine my body, searching for signs that it has. All that feels different is a mighty sense of sickness residing in my belly. My bond feels no different.

"I don't know."

"Shit!" Azlan mutters.

"You haven't tried yet," Winnie points out with a roll of her eyes. "Nonny is a superior potion brewer. It's going to work."

I bring my fist to my mouth, smothering a second burp and then I settle back in my seat and reach for Rhi through the bond.

Immediately, it's like I'm being whisked through the air and that sick feeling gets a whole lot worse.

Rhi?I call out, crossing my fingers and my toes and even my goddamn balls that this is going to work. Rhianna, are you there?

Static. Like an untuned radio.

My shoulders sag. It hasn't worked.

Stone? Stone? Oh my god. Is that you?

Fuck, yes, sweetheart. Yes, fuck, it's me.

I snap open my eyes. "It's worked," I say, grinning my head off, tears of relief pooling in my eyes. "It's working."

"Where is she, Phoenix? Where the fuck is she?"

Azlan looks as if he'd like to crawl over the seat, grab me by the collar and shake me senseless.

Stone? Stone? I can hear you. Are you there?

I'm here, sweetheart, right here. Are you safe? Are you in any danger?

I'm fine, Stone. Just fine. Are you? Is Azlan? Winnie? The … others?

I'm here right now with Azlan and Winnie. We're all just fine. I don't tell her about Tristan Kennedy and Spencer Moreau. Where are you? Can you tell me where you are?

Where am I? I hear her laugh though the bond, vibrant and wild and carefree. I'm flying on the back of a dragon.

I stare at Azlan. Yeah, I don't get this girl at all.

A dragon … sweetheart? Has she lost her senses? Has that bastard hurt her so badly she's lost her mind?

The next few sentences come flying across in a speedy blur of excitement. She was climbing in the mountains, trying to get back to Los Magicos, to us. She found a dragon. An injured dragon. She healed the dragon and now she's flying it.

I rub my temples.

"What?" Azlan says anxiously. "What's wrong? Where is she?"

I shake my head at him and press my finger to my lips. He scowls at me but I don't care. I'm trying to make sense of this.

Why are you in the mountains? There's a pause in our communication. Rhi? Rhi?

There are people hunting me, Stone.

I know sweetheart. They're hunting us too.

Over the mountains seemed the safest route.

The safest route? She has lost her senses, that confirms it. It's winter. The mountains are treacherous at the best of times but in the heart of winter? What the hell is she thinking?

I tried to reach you. There's sadness in her tone now. I've been trying for days.

So have we, Rhi. So have we. But we're going to come and find you now. Right now. Although how we're going to find her in the fucking mountains, I have no clue at all. Just give me a landmark, a reference and we'll be there.

There's more silence. Is she thinking? I go to check if she's still there and then she answers.

Crow's Peak, she says. We'll meet you at Crow's Peak.

And then, although I can still feel her, far more strongly than before, the communication connection breaks.

I stare straight ahead of me, stroking my fingers through my beard.

"Phoenix!" Azlan snaps. "What the fuck?"

"She's not alone," I tell him, eyes flicking to him.

"Barone," he says, his face darkening.

"Barone," I repeat.

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