His words are a mere whisper when he pushes a wild strand away from my face and says, “You don’t have to wonder what happens if you need me and I’m not there. I’ll always be there, Phoenix.”
Part of me I buried long ago stirs to life…
He means it.
That’s what terrifies me.
Everyone I love and care about dies.
Or I destroy them.
My words come out hoarse. “You can’t promise me that.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
PHOENIX
“You’re ready.”
My eyes snap open. I blink up at Kazh who stands in front of me with a neutral face. For a second, I imagine I heard her say those words.
“What?”
Kazh clicks her tongue. “For someone your age, even if only human, I’d expect you wouldn’t have trouble hearing, shithead. I said, you’re ready.”
Immediately, I jump to my feet. “Oh my gods!”
Kazh rolls her eyes. “Get out of my face before I change my mind.”
I squeal and fight off the urge to scoop my mentor into a tight hug. She’d beat me to death with her cane for that.
Instead, I whirl on my heel and march inside the monastery. As if Elder Arcon could sense what’s happening, he appears out of thin air just as I turn the corner.
“Elder Arcon! Kazh said I’m ready to learn how to track my dragon,” I say, breathless.
Elder Arcon smiles. “Very well.” His smile drops when he looks at something behind my shoulder.
Ezkai Bjorn and Ezkai Emil.
“Walk with me, General.” He shoots my Ezkai a pointed look and adds, “Alone.”
I turn to my Ezkai. “I’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly, they let me go and I hurry after the monk and his rustling robes deeper into the monastery.
We walk in silence until we reach a tall double door with a mural of the mountain peaks and the sun setting behind them carved into the dark wood. I enter after him, and immediately my attention is drawn by the wall of steel on one side of the room.
Intricate traps, weapons, whips, leashes, and devices I’ve never seen before hang on hooks across the whole damn wall. You need a ladder to reach some of these…tools.
“Whoa,” I mutter, eyeing it. “I had no clue you know how to battle.” I glance at Elder Arcon over my shoulder. “I thought monks were supposed to be peacekeepers.”
Elder smiles at me. “We are. We only fight when we must.” He gestures at two robed figures standing by the other wall that has a huge map of the mountains drawn on it. “Monk Helios and Monk Renold are our dragon-tracking experts.”
I didn’t even see them until Elder Arcon pointed them out. They stand so still and silent, their robes almost blending in with the map, hoods covering the majority of their faces.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I say to them.
They both show me respect in the official manner. I acknowledge it with a slight dip of my chin and approach the table with a similar map carved in the tabletop.
