Equinox

Chapter Twenty Seven

You may not have known it up until now, but this is not a story of good versus evil or triumph against impending doom. Everything else that had happened was simply back story- a foundation for the cataclysm which would lead to the real topic.

This is the story of my transformation.

I hadn't realized it then. Never in my life had I even the slightest inkling that I was anything but a human and a hunter. The hot flashes and the back pain hadn't seemed that abnormal. It was hot. My back hurt. What was so strange about that?

How could I have known that the very thing we were seeking to summon was already steadily burning inside me?

Jeb had a file on his computer labeled with my name. Had he known? Had the whole lot of them suspected that living within me was an ancient, practically primordial paranormal just waiting to bust out in a fiery blaze of glory? (pun intended.)

Knowledge of the phoenix was rare and disputed. I had never paid the creature any mind, until suddenly the phoenix was me.

And I was no longer Max Ride, the hunter, the safeguard between humanity and the paranormal plague. I was no longer anything that was familiar or comfortable. The CSM compound where I had lived the entirety of my life suddenly seemed less like home and more like a cage. Had they watched me for signs of the supernatural? Had I unknowingly been participating in some twisted test? The thought of Marian Janssen and Anne Walker studying me like a lab experiment made me shudder. My whole life could be a maze, and I was just the rat sniffing my way toward the cheese, as scientists observed and took notes about my behavior.

For the first time, I truly empathized with the flock. I felt their same bitterness and anger like a thorn thrust deep in my chest. If my suspicions proved true, then I would have my revenge … but first, I had a more present dilemma to deal with.

"Who are you?" Dimitri Petran spat. His lip was curled in distaste. Mr. Dracula was not accustomed to being showed up, especially at such a crucial moment in his ploy.

I gazed calmly into the pit, hands on my hips. The paranormals were restlessly jostling one another and swapping uncertain whispers. All eyes were on me, including the familiar deep sea blue of Dylan's, who was staring with jaw slack from his position atop the pyre. Briefly, I wondered where Gazzy and the rest of the flock was. For now, all I could do was hope that they were somewhere safe.

"You should have placed more stock in the oracle's prediction," I called loftily. "The phoenix has risen … and let me tell you, she's not happy."

Petran snorted. His bark of derisive laughter seemed to soothe the agitation of the creatures looking to him as a leader. He smoothed a wrinkle on the torso of his shirt- was that silk? Not only was this guy a bloodthirsty megalomaniac, but he also had the sense of style of a rich asshole. Where was his yacht and young, scantily clad "model" girlfriend? The pale white of his stringy hair contrasted with his sallow, black veined skin wasn't exactly charming on any normal scale.

"You, a phoenix?" He tossed his chin back and let loose a deep chuckle. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard. His blatant disbelief further quelled his followers' anxious murmurs. "You're nothing but a teenage girl with a few tricks up her sleeve. There's nothing you can do to stop us. The Vernal Equinox has begun."

With that, he tossed his torch onto the tinder at the base of the pyre. Flames quickly licked up the logs and toward Dylan's feet. He jerked against the ropes and danced away from the crackling blaze. Four hooded figures scrambled forward and circled the fire. They raised their hands, no doubt preparing to chant the final lines to complete the ceremony and seal the strength afforded to paranormals through the equinox. Serious black magic.

I dove into the pit. My wings snapped out and wrenched me painfully upward. I wasn't exactly accustomed to flying yet. Once I had stabilized myself I streamlined toward Petran. I hit him right in the chest and he dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. Together, we flew a few more feet, his back grinding into the stone until I managed to retract my wings enough to careen to a halt. On one knee, I hovered over him, gaze raking over his astounded expression. My palm was flat over his heart.

"I'll show you tricks," I jeered.

From where my hand rested on his chest, orange, iridescent lines spread through his veins, burning through the rotting black ichor. His face was frozen in utter petrification. The last thing I saw were the whites of his eyes shine bright red before his entire body burst into flames. In a matter of seconds, all that was left of the once tyrannical and malicious Dimitri Petran was a pile of smoldering ash.

I turned swiftly and pushed to a stand. Dylan's shoe was on fire and the witches were droning in a haunting monotone toward the heavens. Either they hadn't noticed or didn't care that Petran had just been incinerated. I stalked toward them, leaving white-hot footprints in the ground.

The closest witch had her back to me. I curled my fingers over her shoulder and yanked her away from the circle. She yelped and fell to her knees, clutching at the scorch mark that sent her flesh sizzling. Without a complete circle, the other witches fell silent. They scattered pretty quickly as I approached the pyre.

I climbed the wood, ignoring the flames lapping at my legs. I didn't feel any discomfort. The fire was cool against my skin. It was more like a gentle pressure wafting against me than anything. The heat emanating from my hands made quick work of the ropes tying Dylan to his stake. As soon as he was free, he vaulted from the stack of burning lumber and swatted at the sparks dotting his shoes.

I hopped to the ground. A surge of paranormals were making a beeline for the stairs. So not happening. I arched my shoulders and my wings responded instantaneously. They slid from their half folded position and shook in the smoke-filled air. I gave a few light flaps, and then curled them sharply forward. The blackened tips of my feathers flattened against one another directly in line with my nose. When they separated, an orb of crackling flames lobbed toward the stairs. It landed a quarter of the way down and abruptly exploded into an inferno.

There would be no escaping.

"Stop," I commanded, infusing my voice with as much authority as I could muster.

Many had no choice but to stay where they were. A few braved my fiery blockade and paid with their lives. I did my best to block out their agonized screams. The creatures that remained maintained as much distance from me as possible. Their expressions were wary. As the oracle had revealed, they had been thwarted, and now that Petran was gone, they didn't know what to do. Such a variety of paranormals in one setting was a recipe for disaster. The diverse species didn't usually get alone. They had been united by Petran's leadership and a common goal, but both those glues had been dissolved.

Suddenly, a figure shoved his way to the front. His entire body looked as if it were vibrating from head to toe. "Puny little girl," he snarled. His muscles bulged and convulsed. Bristly gray hair erupted along his jaw. His shirt ripped at the shoulder as his eyes turned yellow and his canine teeth elongated to serrated tips. "Your silly fire doesn't scare me. Silver is my only enemy."

"Ooh, Mr. Tough Guy," I taunted.

He let loose a growl from deep in his maw. In a flash, I was inches from him. My hand was wrapped in a vise around his throat before his transformation took full effect. This was still an equinox, and though I had prevented any bid for eternal power, the paranormals would reap the benefits of strength as if it were any other solstice or equinox.

"I can kill anything," I whispered through gritted teeth. "Even you."

His face was webbed with lava. He choked and gurgled as the fire raced through him and seared the lining of his veins. With one final shudder, he disintegrated into thick black ash, which scattered in a heap around my feet.

"Anyone else?" I snapped, searching through the myriad of trapped paranormals. None of them so much as shivered.

I should have killed every last one of them. These were the same creatures that had cheered at the idea of slaughtering hunters and enslaving the human race. I couldn't condone their behavior, whatever their reasoning was. However neglected, alienated, and abused they felt, there was no excuse for agreeing with the vision that Petran had had for the world.

"You are here because you represent the very worst of your kind," I stated, voice low and grave. "You aimed to launch a genocide worldwide. You're nothing but cowards. You are the scum of the earth … But some of you were human once. I ask for you to reach for the last shreds of humanity in you now, because you'll need that compassion and determination in order to survive. From this day, walk amongst man knowing that the human race is protected, and that if you wreak havoc on those that scorn your existence out of ignorance, I will find you."

I curled my fingers into a fist and the flames lapping at the steps extinguished. There was a pause amongst the paranormals as they scrambled to decide whether they should run or if this was some sort of trap.

"Go before I change my mind." My stare was deadly.

I watched as they trampled over one another up the stairs and fled into the night. The shadows had just swallowed the last lumbering troll when a series of thumps from behind had me whirling. My wings twitched and the edge of my feathers ignited with a yellow glow. I relaxed when I saw that it was just the flock, come flapping from their hiding spot.

They all stared rather blankly at me, except for Iggy, who just looked slightly puzzled. Dylan was still laying in a patch of dirt from where he had rolled after leaping from the fire. Upon catching my eye, he quickly ceased his gaping. I fidgeted self consciously, wondering what I must look like to them- feathers ablaze and skin shining with its own light source. As my panting settled to controlled breaths, I felt the warmth running through my veins subside, and figured that the streaks of orange swirling in loops across my flesh had dimmed to normal. The dripping sparks from my feathers were reduced to wisps of smoke, and I drew my wings in so that they folded comfortably against my back.

A second passed. Breathe, Max. Two seconds. Three. Gazzy, Angel, and Nudge rushed me simultaneously. Gazzy and Angel looped their arms around my waist at either side, and Nudge stood over them, clutching my mid-section tightly. I laughed a bit and squeezed each of their shoulders. They all beamed as they stepped away from me.

I approached Dylan and held out my hand. He took it, still looking at me in frank astonishment as I lugged him to his feet. Iggy was directly behind him, whistling tunelessly and swiveling his head from side to side, sightless eyes directed to the onyx sky. His odd behavior was probably due to the fact that he was standing beside Fang.

Fang.

I faced him. He stood with his arms held loosely at his sides. The cotton of his t-shirt ruffled in the wind, along with strands of his raven colored hair. Much to my chagrin, his entire face was walled in a steel shell. I could read nothing in his dark eyes.

"You're alive," he said plainly.

I ran a hand over the part in my hair and gave a small smirk. "I'm incredibly resilient, you know. Just imagine what a pissed off poltergeist I'd make if, after everything I've been through, I met my demise by way of drowning. It's absolutely unthinkable. I couldn't allow it."

"But what happened?" he demanded brusquely. Finally, some emotion was leaking through. His eyes flickered- pain and anger slicing through the chinks in his armor. "How did you survive?"

"I went under and I couldn't tell which way was up from down. I just started swimming," I explained, biting my lip. The word 'survive' rebounded around my skull. He had thought I was dead? They had all thought I was dead. Of course they had. Stupid Max. "I ended up on the other side of the waterfall, in a narrow inlet that had been carved into the mountain. I tried to get back through but I couldn't move. My entire body felt like it had been thrust into an incinerator … for well … now totally obvious reasons. I blacked out. When I came to, it was pitch dark outside and I had sprouted feathers and was smoldering from head to toe."

Dylan began speaking, but my gaze never left Fang. "I don't understand. You're a phoenix. How did this happen?"

"I have no idea," I admitted helplessly.

"You've got wings," Fang observed. A pucker appeared at the corner of his mouth. He was trying not to smile, but a rueful look was quickly overtaking his features.

My pulse picked up speed. My mind instantly wandered to our kiss, and I couldn't help but sneak a glance at his lips. Was he thinking the same thing? It was impossible to tell. He had definitely kissed back, but I hadn't exactly left myself much room to gauge his reaction after the fact. I was a bit busy plummeting off a cliff and whatnot.

"You'll have to try and keep up with me now," I replied smugly.

His ensuing laugh made my chest ache. "Yeah right. You've got no flying experience. You're far from keeping up with Iggy in a crowded shopping mall, let alone me in a race."

"We'll see about that," I taunted, bristling at the challenge.

Unknowingly, we had gravitated toward one another. Silence billowed in the few feet between us. The amused glimmer in Fang's eyes died and was replaced by an impassive glaze. His jaw tightened perceptibly, and I fought the urge to reach out and smooth away the tension with my finger. Stoic as he now was, he was still achingly beautiful. It was kind of unfair.

"I thought you were dead," he relayed bitterly.

"I'm sorry." My apology was genuine. I hadn't really had time to consider what they had thought after I never resurfaced.

The area around his eyes tightened and his hands clenched into fists. "You can't just kiss people then jump off cliffs. It's not proper etiquette."

"I haven't had much experience in that department either," I admitted with a wince. He had said it, out loud, for everybody to hear. His acknowledgment sent a soaring feeling through my stomach. As an afterthought, I added: "You'll have to teach me."

I gazed slyly up at him through my lashes. He was smirking. We each closed the remaining distance and I stepped gratefully into his open arms. He held me tight against his chest. I wound my arms around his waist and returned the pressure. My nose fit perfectly into the crook of his shoulder. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. In order not to glorify the moment, I admit he smelled mostly like sweat with slight hints of the air after it rained. He pressed his lips to my forehead and I felt the shape of his smile against my tingling skin.

We were interrupted by a bout of gagging noises issued between Iggy and Gazzy. I turned and glared, Fang's arms still held loosely around my shoulders.

"Um, not to ruin this totally adorable moment and all, but can we like, please get out of here? I'm tired and starving and man hiking around a jungle really takes a lot out of you, am I right?" Nudge babbled, her words stringing together almost unintelligibly.

"She's right," Dylan muttered. I could see only the side of his profile as he glared at the wall of the pit. His voice sounded almost strangled. I had momentarily forgotten that he was present. The two displays of affection he had witnessed between Fang and I were weighing heavily on him. "We should go."

I stepped away from Fang, immediately missing the pressure of his embrace. Okay no. Ew. Did I really just think that? There were too many foreign sensations running through my body. Between sentimental emotions and straight fire power, I was still floundering as I attempted to synchronize properly.

"They're right. We need to set a course for home. I have a few questions that need answered."