Phoenix met Jace on top of the library building. He used magic to get to the top without having to climb the side of the wall. She was sitting by the doorway, "It's through here." She motioned to the doorway, "There's a set of stairs leading down into the back and once you make the spell recognize you as being allowed through you won't have to do it again."
Jace's eyes narrowed, "They update the enchantments."
"They copy the enchantments. If you convince the enchantment that you're allowed to go through it then you won't have to do it another time," Phoenix said matter-of-factly.
"So that's how you really got in there," Jace nodded to himself.
Phoenix showed him how she had manipulated the enchantment and then walked past the doorway.
Jace's process was more complicated because he was a documented student of the school. Once the enchantment accepted him he grinned excitedly.
"So that's that," Phoenix shrugged, "However, Thursday nights the teachers are always organizing that part of the library so we should probably go now."
"But-"
"Hey, is someone there?"
Jace's eyes widened.
"Now!" Phoenix shoved him towards the edge of the roof. The two of them took off. Phoenix jumped off the roof the instant she got to the edge. Jace however took the time to cast the spell that created wings for him before jumping. She landed in a crouch with a thud and darted across the courtyard.
Phoenix. Be careful. He's accidentally created a telepathic bond with you. He doesn't know about it and that makes it possibly dangerous.
Phoenix shook her head. I'll worry about that later. She scaled the wall that separated the school campus from the hills around it and waited for Jace, crouched in the shadows of the wall. It didn't take him long to catch up. She looked around before walking away, "Let's be a bit more careful next time. I don't think the consequences for being caught would be pleasant."
Jace nodded, "Okay." He wasn't nearly as argumentative about it anymore. He followed her back into the hills. Suddenly he cocked his head to the side, "You're fast."
"And?" Phoenix had taught herself the spell that augmented speed from watching him do it. She was not going to deny that it was helpful.
Jace shrugged indifferently, "Nothing really."
Phoenix rolled her eyes, "You are so...annoying."
"Then why are you here?" Jace asked.
Phoenix stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yeah alright," Jace nodded knowingly.
"You little shit," Phoenix snapped.
"That one's new," Jace looked at her in surprise, "How many 'names' do you create for people?"
"Depends on how annoying you are," Phoenix shrugged indiffferently.
Jace looked at her, "Seriously?"
Phoenix nodded, "Got a problem?"
"So...I must be really annoying?" Jace asked. He smirked, "About as annoying as you are?"
"I hate you," Phoenix snapped, "You are so infuriating."
Jace laughed, "Yeah? Good to know."
Phoenix sighed, "You've convinced the enchantment that it knows you so yeah. Just avoid Thursdays and you'll be fine."
"Avoid Thursdays?" Jace cocked his head to the side plotatively.
"Or just turn invisible and make sure none of the teachers see a randomly floating book in the air," Phoenix shrugged.
"Yeah," Jace nodded.
Phoenix felt malignant eyes watching them but wherever she looked she could see anything. She hissed through gritted teeth.
"You too huh?" Jace whispered.
Phoenix nodded, "Yeah. It's nasty." The feeling faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. Phoenix snarled softly, "Jace go home."
"But-"
"Now."
Jace's eyes widened and he cast a simple spell before taking off.
Phoenix sighed, "At least he listens when he needs to." She darted through the trees. I swear he relies on his magic for everything. If he ever loses it he'll lose his mind. Oh well. That's not my problem. She scouted the entire area outside the city and circled the city four times before finally believing the presence was truly gone. She sighed and climbed onto Jace's house's roof. This was pretty much where she lived when she didn't spend her nights just wandering around. I cannot wait for this job to be done. I'm getting tired of looking after that stubborn shithead. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.
When she woke up Jace was already at school. She sighed and sat up. She stared up at the cloudy sky. The sun was nowhere to be seen behind the thick canopy of gray. "It's going to rain," she muttered in disgust. And I'm stuck sleeping outside. She got lazily to her feet and slid off the roof. She landed with a thud on the ground in a crouch. She wandered in the general direction of Jace's school. I'm done. I'm beyond done. I'll tell Jace I'm leaving tonight and then I'll go tell that vampire to eat maggots. When she got there she saw a streak of flames headed straight for one of Jace's companions. She stepped in front of the panicked brunette and absorbed the flames.
The fire mage that had thrown the flames stared at her in shock.
Jace cringed and stepped back. What are you doing?
Helping your friend. Phoenix smirked confidently and looked dead at the fire mage, "Is that the best you can do? Those flames didn't even burn."
Jace's eyes widened. Are you picking a fight?!
Maybe. What of it? Phoenix's confident smirk remained on her face.
"I'm the most powerful fire mage at this school," he snarled.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?" She put her hands on her hips, "Those didn't even tickle."
"You absorbed them," Erin stared at her.
"No one can do that," the fire mage snapped. He formed a gun with his fingers and pointed it at her. Flames leaped from his hands and formed a snake that slithered through the air towards her.
Phoenix smirked and let the snakes fangs sink into the skin on her neck. The flames felt soothing on her skin and flowed through her blood. Her eyes glowed with an inner light and the tips of her hair erupted into flames.
The fire mage stared at her. His face contorted in fear and horror, "You monster!"
"You want to see a monster?" Phoenix asked. Her eyes narrowed and flames sprouted at her feet, "Cause I can show the power of a monster."
Jace's eyes grew wider. Don't! STOP! You're going to get in so much trouble! You're going to kill someone! He bit his lower lip and started to ease his way away from the confrontation.
"What's going on here?!" the law mage teacher snarled as he pushed through the crowd.
Phoenix turned to him. Her face was completely calm and the flames had died before the teacher ever saw them, "Hi."
Jace looked from her to the teacher and back again. WHAT?!
"You're not a student," the law mage looked her over.
"Nope," Phoenix shook her head. It'd be nice if you could not scream in my head.
Sorry. Jace bit his lower lip again.
"Then how'd you get onto the grounds in the first place?" the teacher asked.
Phoenix rolled her eyes and flames sparked at her feet again. Her hair rose off her back and flames flicked at the ends. Her skin glowed bright orange and flames traced the lines on her face. "Maybe cause I can do this?" she let the flames die.
"So you're a mage. How are you not enrolled here?" the law mage asked.
"I didn't want to be and I'll be leaving tonight so I'm not going to bother," Phoenix shrugged. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at the large man contemptuously, "Anyway, as for your first question, that guy threw flames at that guy and that guy dodged and it was gonna hit her so, being a fire mage myself I stepped in between that girl and the flames and then he decided to start a fight so I intimidated the hell out of him and then you showed up and then we had this conversation and I will now be leaving." She spoke very quickly and motioned to each person as she brought them up.
Was that one sentence? Jace's voice echoed in her head.
Yes. Phoenix turned and started to walk away.
"Wait a moment," the law mage ordered.
"Sorry, I've got places to be," Phoenix didn't even turn to look at him, "and I certainly am not going to waste anymore time on you numbskulls." She winked at the brunette as she passed.
The girl stared at her and then smiled.
Phoenix smirked and continued to walk, ignoring the law mage's angered swearing at her back. Suddenly she found that she couldn't move. She felt someone probing through her mind. It definitely wasn't Jace and it wasn't Lucy. Her eyes narrowed and flames crawled along her skin. Her hair and eyes lit up brighter than ever, "Get out of my head."
"What is the real reason you are here?" a flat monotone voice asked.
Phoenix allowed the chaos of her anger fill her mind and the presence quickly retreated.
"What are you?" she asked in shock.
Phoenix whirled around, "I am chaos incarnate." She stared at the telepath with narrowed glowing orange orbs for eyes, "Got a problem?"
"So you're a monster?" the law mage asked.
"If that's how you want to see it then sure," the flames died quickly and Phoenix looked at them calmly. Her calm face was a façade. She hated having someone poking around in her mind without her expressed permission. She put her hands on her hips and glared at them, "Besides, don't worry about me. I'll be out of your skin by tonight." She turned away and threw the last comment over her shoulder, "Oh yeah, and call me a monster one more time and I'll show you what a monster really is. Don't bother trying to hunt me down. You'll never find me."