~~~ Bea’s POV ~~~
A bucket of icy cold water jolts me awake. Confused and disoriented, I look down at my arms, abdomen, and then my surroundings. Different ethnic women held their straight military attention pose in front of me. There are three blue-grey bunk beds equally spaced between them, along the wooden cabin wall. I'm still alive. Was the airplane just a dream?
-"Wake up, cadet." Connor shouts.
Standing at an arm's length is the girl who wielded the raging storm when they kidnaped me. She motions for me to get out of bed and follow. Her hands held an empty bucket, making me deduct she was the one who dumped the cold water all over me. Stopping at the end of the bunker bed, she props herself to attention. I do the same.
Connor paces up and down the cabin, speaking in an authoritative tone.
-"Remember to be on time. Tardiness won't be tolerated. Your team will be your family from now on." He stops before me. "If one of you steps out of line, the whole team gets punished. Are we clear?" He shouts, making me jump.
-"Yes, sir."
-"Good. As punishment for your new cadet's tardiness, you will skip breakfast this morning and complete ten laps around the compound before the training starts."
-"You drugged me, how was I--"
-"Add 20 push-ups to the punishment." Connor cuts me off, his face inches away from mine.
Yesterday's gentle caring man had been replaced with a complete jerk. Not a single kindness trace was left behind.
-"Yes, Sir." I reluctantly complied.
Satisfied, Connor marshes out the door, the stormy girl following him pronto. After a few minutes of silence, the whole room erupts into chatter while they finish putting on their uniforms. They were mainly complaining about the punishment and how unfair it was.
-"You better hurry and change into your uniform. Also, don't forget to make your bed. They run quarters inspection while we are out training." A girl with Asian features says, squeezing past me towards the locker next to the bunk bed where I woke up. She opens it, taking out a white and grey uniform just like the one she wears.” Quick we don't have all day."
-"How long was I out? Can I shower first?" I asked, peeling the wet clothes away from my skin.
-"Showers are after the training. I don't know how long you were unconscious. We didn't even know you were placed in our cabin till Captain Connor stormed on a surprise inspection. Now put this on, and let's go." She pushes the uniform against my chest. "We leave in five."
She climbs the bunk bed above mine, straitening the sheets and blankets. I guess we are sleep buddies. The bunker had a total of six-bed sets. Ours was by the entrance door. Before changing, I look around. Changing among so many women watching made me a little shy. Thankfully everyone seems to be minding their own business, so I change into dry clothes, keeping my wet undergarments because nothing I had packed made it here. We are in a hurry, so make the bed without changing the damp linen. I will have to ask where to find a dry bedding set later.
One by one, the girls exit the cabin, waiting outside in a single line. I join them, placing myself behind them. Although the bed capacity was twelve, there were only five girls, not counting myself. The Asian girl comes by and taps my shoulder. Her outstretched hand offers me a hair-tie.
-"You have to put your hair in a bun. Dress code rules." She speaks. My eyes scan the five girls, whose hairs were perfectly groomed into donut buns. "Move to the front of the line. As a new recruit, you will set the group's pace. We are a team. No one is left behind. Remember that."
Guess Adrian wasn't kidding when he stated the deal was for me to become a soldier. This place runs up-tight.
-"But I wouldn't know where to go." I point out.
-"Do you have hearing issues?" She asks. I nod negatively.
-"Good, then move to the front and start running."
Gathering my hair, I tie it in a bun while making my way to the front. Once there, I run at a steady pace, our boots crunching the snow beneath our feet. We run through the tall pine tree for a few minutes before the girl who gave me the hair-tie, and whose name I still don't know yet, shouts 'left'. So that's why she asked if I could hear. Following her commands every so often, we lap around the mountain path for what felt like hours, but judging by the sun's position in the sky, which barely had changed, I can tell it had been only minutes.
There wasn't much out there, just pine trees, two more buildings like our cabin, and a bunch of snow. The sun shone brightly in the sky, with no clouds in sight. Back home, I used to run with werewolves which helped me build quite the stamina. Still, after all these laps, my calves burn, and my stomach, like everyone else's, growled for the breakfast food we won't have this morning.
Instead of ordering me to yet another left turn on the last lap, the lead girl tells me to take a right, making us descend the mountain through the recent carved car tracks. We make it to the tarp road, where we run another mile or so before encountering the most beautiful crystal palace I have ever seen. Between the snow-covered mountains and surrounded by a forest of sharp icicles stood an Arabian-like castle with different heights cylindrical towers linked together by covered battlements and ornated silver metal resembling a ribbon. Each building had crystal blue domes and an extended platform near the top. One tower stood out in particular. It sat at the edge of the abyss, connected to the main building by a long blue crystal hall bridge. But that wasn't the only unusual detail about it. Its dome wasn't made of sparkling blue crystal glass like the others but of a burning blue flame instead. It felt as if the flame was dying, though. The intensity was weak and, from time to time, would take on a purple tone.
By the time we reached the castle, I was ready to move on to the afterlife. No matter how much stamina you have, running like this will make anyone huff and puff. Every girl behind me felt the same way. They were all bent over, heaving for air with hands on their knees, vivid pink nose tips, and cheeks. We barely had time to catch up when the leader girl instructed us to form a line and start the push-ups. Gosh. What did I get myself into?
A group of probably fifty people exits the building, joining us in the courtyard. Connor is among them. He waits for us to finish before commanding twenty sit-ups. The lead girl and I pair up, me going first while she secures my feet to the ground.
-"What's--Your--Name?" I ask between sit-ups.
-"Amaya." She answers.
-"Beatrice. But--everyone--calls me--Bea." Connor’s whistle goes off, and we switch positions.
-"How long have you been here? If you don't mind me asking."
-"A year, give or take." She responds effortlessly.
-"Is everyone here a phoenix?"
-"If by everyone you mean the people training in this courtyard, then yes. The mortals live in the small town a few miles away from here, except for a few royal family servants."
-"Did they kidnap you too?" She looks taken aback by my question.
-"Kidnap?"
Before I could elaborate, Connor whistled again. We created a circle, and after doing some stretching and articulation warm-up, he randomly started calling names for sparring. Of course, being the new girl, Connor made sure I wasn't forgotten. He paired me with one of the boys called Jacob. Dark skin, curly hair, fit figure. Jacob appeared to be agitated, constantly tugging on his uniform's grey turtleneck sweater. Maybe he wasn't feeling too well. It was cold outside, yet I could see the sweat beads running down his temporals.
When he came to strike his first move, I sidestepped left, blocked his arm with my right, and punched his ribs with my left fist. We shared uppercuts, sidekicks, and a few over-the-shoulder throws. Annoyed I haven't been the easy target he hoped for, his eyes glow a strange purple before an ice chain forms from the palm of his hand to the floor. Using it like a whip, he assails me. I use my arms to block the lashes left and right as they come.
-"Use your powers, cadet!" Connor shots while passing back and forth.
The wiping becomes more aggressive, leaving a burn behind every time it meets my skin. That's when I noticed the ice chain had now blue-turquoise flames. My opponent might be strong, but he is predictable. His movement comes in a pattern that I memorize and quickly start to dodge. Bothered with the fact his chains are no longer effective on me, he dissipates it to conjure fire spheres he throws in my direction—the moment they hit the ground, the area freezes.
-"Use your powers." Connor anxiously demands.
How am I supposed to do that exactly? Blizzard had been quiet this whole time, skeptical about making his appearances. Even if he did speak now, I still wouldn't be able to control my powers. That's why I am putting up with all this bull***t after being kidnapped. These people have the answer and the training to help me. Suddenly Jacob falls to the floor, twitching as if he was having a seizure. People attend to him, but his erratic movements throw them off. Anguish scream penetrated deep in your soul while the gory images of Jacob peeling off his own skin traumatize any sane mind. The one-person commotion settles down, reviling another disfigured monster, just like the one in the Alpha's mansion. Its mouth points to the sky as the creature seems to gag something up, to then spit a dark purple flame sphere in my direction.
-"Bea move! Don't let it touch you!" Connor shouts like a cat on a hot tin roof.
I jump out of the way, just in time to avoid the attack. Connor rushes past me, an ice sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Most of the students had taken cover behind the various crate piles scattered around the courtyard. Amaya and I were the only ones still up close to the fight. She tries to drag me to safety, but I stop her.
-"We have to help him." I step in Connor's direction, and she blocks my way.
-"If that thing touches you, you are dead. Do you understand? The poison will corrupt you."
-"We can use the tears to cure the poison, just like we did with my friend." I state, remembering how we cured Liam.
-"No, they can't. The healing tears don't cure a poisoned phoenix. It only cures those that aren't like us."
-"So, we are just going to leave Connor fighting alone? What happened to no one is left behind?" I enforce my point. We need to help. There must be something we can do. I grip her upper arm, expressing my urgency.
-"Girls, watch out!" Connor warns.
One of the purple fires heads towards us. Instinctively I push Amaya away while also trying to dodge it myself. The corrupted flame hits the ground near my left foot, freezing it in place with dark crystals. The beast builds up yet another giant energy ball, throwing it in my direction once it reaches the desired amount of energy. Anxiety builds as I won't free my leg in time to avoid the attack. I protect my face with my arms and brace myself for what will be a painful blow.
~~~ Bea's POV ~~~ One. Two. Three. The Pain never came. Connor had somehow made his way over and blocked the attack with the Ice shield. Things were getting out of hand quickly, the infected phoenix constantly pressuring our defenses with fireballs. -"How do we stop him?" I ask, gripping Connor's back. -"By killing it." -"What? It? That's Jacob, your comrade!" -"Not anymore, he isn't. The plague consumes him. There is nothing else we can do besides putting him out of his misery." Connor states. "I'm going to get us close. Use your power to freeze it in place. Once contained, I will pierce its heart." He says, smashing my frozen foot with the handle of his sword. -"Connor, your plan is terrific, but there is one little problem." His gaze locks with mine, questioning what the problem may be. A fireball hits, and we almost lose it all. "Eyes on your opponent." I screech. "My powers are weak." I wasn
Adrian and I navigated the confusing corridor, stairs, and even elevators maze. All to reach a different palace area where I presumed his office is. That had been the original destination before I wandered off. Hopefully, Connor won't punish me for it. The dizzy spells from food deprivation and intensive training were getting to me. If the nurses hadn't given me a glass of water while we waited to be examined, I would be thirsty too.-"So... What's behind this door that I'm allowed to see?" I question a little sour from have been denied the wounders behind the other door.-"Normally, you wouldn't, but I can make an exception. Just for you." Adrian's lips curled mischievously while he opened the door we stood by. "Lady's first." He gestures for me to go first.We walk inside a bedroom. Every inch of it screamed Royal, from the fancy rose gold molded ceiling to crystal chandeliers and massive king-size bed elevated by three steps. To the left, by the large balcony
Amaya had one more task to go through before retiring for the night. I offer my help on the condition she would enlighten my questions about today, starting with what made Jacob turn into a disfigured monster. I might have been quiet about it, but I haven't forgotten.-"Fighting villains during the day, moping floor dooring the night. I got the feeling it should be the other way around, right?" I tried to build a conversation, but Amaya seemed indifferent.We are currently moping the throne room, and other than the mop slashing water from the bucket to the tile floor, we had been in complete silence.-"What made Jacob change into that monster? How does it happen?" I ask, successfully capturing her attention.-"Darkling. The being we fought is called a Darkling." She whispers, stopping for a moment to inspect the surroundings. "We are not allowed to discuss it. No one really knows how you become one, there isn't much correlation bet
***Bea's POV***Last night had been unexpected. After soaking in the bathtub for half an hour, I had a pleasant talk with Maya, a beautiful loose curls blond who resembled the female photo in Adrian's room. Our conversation felt like the sleepovers Caroline, and I had when we were in high school About boys. Connor is the king's eldest son. However, the throne succession falls to Adrian, the second oldest, because Connor isn't legitimately recognized. Maya is the youngest of the three and shared both parents with Adrian, the king being the only parent she still had alive. She didn't go into details about her mother or the cause of her passing. It didn't feel my place to protrude more than I already had. That subject will be for another day. The morning early hours came, and with it, so did Connor. Maya had thrown a pillow in protest for the rude awakening on a Sunday morning, but I couldn't ignore my captain.Borrowing the first sports clothes I c
From a happy memory into complete chaos, Liam's summer kiss had been so real as if had been right there in front of me, but then it became a winter stab, leaving me inert in a deep well of darkness where all the soul scream echoed off the wall to cause yet another wound. I couldn't breathe with the heaviness on my chest or walk with the weakness debilitating my being. All those whispers of insecurity, despair, and scrutiny were caging me in.Around me, village houses burned with purple fire. Women wailed their children's blood as darkling soldiers claimed it with their sharp claws. Their skin-crawling screams made my legs tremble while the rancid smell of burning flesh knotted my insides. Destruction consumed every stepping stone in the path before me. Never have I felt or seen anything like this before, so broken. The desire to make everyone feel the same became a raging flame, fuelled with each dying breath. The suffering, despair, and fear of these unknown people felt repu
***Adrian's POV***Thanks to Connor's ability to influence one will, we managed to control the situation before my father came out of his room, yet again. The Dark cloud is almost gone, which means he will be weak for a while. The earful reprimand he gave me yesterday had been enough for the rest of the month. Having yet another issue come to his attention would be undesirable. If he finds out about this breach, he will undoubtedly de-throne me. I must get it together.-"Alpha Xavier Kohler, I have something you might be looking for." I announce as soon as the person on the other side of the call picks up.This intruder might become a blessing. I don't know how she wandered in without being detected or why she is here seeking Beatrice, but surely, I know she became my ACE card for more information about Naomi Stevens, Bea's mother, the moment she did.-"Prince Adrian Von Wilczek," a growl follows, "if you so lay a fin
*** Bea's POV*** The past few days had probably been the worst in my entire life. I would do anything for something as simple as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Using my fingers to clean my teeth didn't even come close to the freshness you experienced after using a good toothbrush. Hey, I was already invading Adrian's Privacy by showering in his bathroom. Why not use his hygiene products also? However, I couldn't bring myself to search his cabinets after seeing the condoms-filled top drawers of the mirror vanity. Clearly, Adrian hadn't grown up from his hormonal high school popular boy years. He is the type of boy I hate the most. If he thinks I will fall for his charming-swipe-off-your-feet-sloppy-technics, he better have a spare ego because this one will get crushed. "Self-centered narcissist prick." I slur while following him to the VIP's living room. Far from home with no luggage, cellphone, or credit cards, my life went from Daddy's little princess to borrowing clothes and eating
***Bea's POV***A week had gone by so quickly. In that amount of time, I had made more friends and had familiarized myself with each daily task we attended after the morning training. The quarantine had been lifted, and we could now enjoy the chilliness of the white snow. It was cold and dry but somehow felt just right. Each day Connor taught us a different lesson, and in the evening, he and I would train an extra hour, which helped me master my abilities better. Freezing things at will turn out to be quite satisfying.However, today's training isn't something I'm looking forward to. We are currently standing on a platform—God knows how high from the ground—we listen to Connor instructing us first-time shifters. I'm mortified. We are supposed to jump and shift midair. The only problem here is I have never turned before.The new recruiters are to jump from this tower shift midair to patrol the skies while escorting