Becoming: Red Nova Chronicles Book One, page 16
As he worked, Isabel’s cries grew louder, but he had to keep going. It was a nasty break, much worse than anything they’d healed back in St. Petersburg, but he could see where the bone needed to go, so he knew he could fix it. He could also tell there was some internal damage as well, so he focused on the connections there, being careful to match the bones and tissue back to their original places. As he worked, Sean could feel his body shaking, and soon he was covered in sweat. He could feel droplets of sweat dripping into his eyes, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t. He was afraid that if he did, he would cripple Isabel for life, so he continued on.
It took several minutes to complete the process, but finally it was done. Sean wiped his brow and let out a long sigh. When he opened his eyes, Isabel was staring up at him in wonder. Sachie and Mateo had joined them. They were all looking at him like he had two heads.
Sean reached up and ran his hands through his now short-cropped hair. “What is it? Is she okay? Are you okay?” He looked down at Isabel.
She smiled as she cleaned the sweat and tears from her face. “Yes, I’m okay… because of you,” she said simply, and she reached up and gave him a big hug.
Sean held her tight to him.
“Brother, you were… glowing. It was incredible, and I could feel the power coming off of you in waves,” Sachie said.
“Yeah, man, you were working some intense magic there,” Mateo said in awe. “I’ve never seen one dragon attempt to heal a compound fracture like that. It usually takes two or three to do it. Sachie and I came over to help, but you managed it all by yourself.”
“I did? I had no idea. I just knew Isabel was in pain and losing blood. I had to fix it.” Sean ran his hand through his hair again. He could tell it was now standing on end. He must look ridiculous. He felt ridiculous. Did he really just do magic that normally took multiple dragons to pull off?
“It was amazing, Sean, truly,” Isabel whispered.
“Erm… thanks, I guess.” Sean blushed again and tried to smooth the ends of his hair down. “So… is everyone else alright?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. Apparently Isabel took the brunt for all of us this time. Thanks, sis,” Mateo said with a mischievous grin, but Sean could see the concern in his eyes. Mateo loved his sister, and he had been really worried about her.
“You are not welcome. Next time, you can take one for the team,” she said as she glared at her brother.
“We need to get cleaned up. I know you just maxed out on healing Isabel, but do you think you can help with her skirts? We don’t want people to assume we’re murderers, but with the amount of blood on her, I feel like that’s exactly what they’ll think.”
Sean chuckled. Sachie was right—Isabel couldn’t go around town looking like that. “Sure, I can take care of it.” Sean squeezed his eyes shut again and focused on the water in the blood on Isabel’s skirts. Slowly, tiny droplets began to form, then they began floating above her. With a flick of his wrist, he whisked them away towards the trees.
“Nicely done, brother. Now we need to find our creature guide. What do you think it’ll be this time?” Sachie asked.
Sean shrugged. He had no idea, but he hoped they’d find him or her soon, because he was beat. He needed to lie down. He helped Isabel up, and they all began walking towards the edge of the trees. When they reached the tree line, they all stopped in their tracks and stared.
In the distance was a sprawling city filled with cobblestone streets and tall stone buildings. A few of the buildings were significantly taller than the others, and these ones had brightly colored stained-glass windows that sparkled in the sunlight. Sean could also see smoke rising from several chimneys, along with people scurrying about, most likely running errands or earning their day’s wages. The roads into the city were filled with people either walking or riding horses and carriages. The place teemed with life. Sean felt like he was in one of those period-drama movies Sachie liked to watch. The whole scene was surreal.
“That must be Florence,” Sean said.
“It’s just as I imagined it. I can’t believe we’re actually here,” Sachie squealed.
“Should we head down now, or do we wait for our guide to find us?” Isabel asked.
“I say we go. No point in wasting time waiting on some lazy creature who probably forgot about us and may never come. Plus, I’m hungry!” Mateo’s stomach seemed to guide most of his decisions, that and his fleeting attention span.
Just as Mateo spoke those last words, a loud squawk pierced through the trees. Sean tried to find the source of the strange sound, but he couldn’t see anything. The others looked around as well, but to no avail, until Sachie pointed to a tree branch behind him.
On the branch was a magnificent crimson bird with the most glorious tail that was easily twice as long as the bird itself. The bird’s feathers weren’t just red, but every shade of red, orange, purple and gold all combined into one shining image. Sean was surprised that it almost reminded him of Sachie’s dragon scales.
The bird seemed to be inspecting them, its head moving slowly from side to side as if sizing them up. Then it burst into a ball of flames! It was so unexpected that Isabel screamed in shocked surprise. The flaming ball that was once the bird traveled from the high branch it had been on down to the forest floor, where the flames instantly went out. The strange episode stopped almost as quickly as it had started. The four of them just stared dumbfounded at the smoldering spot that had once been a bird.
As the smoke and ash began to clear, Sean was astonished to find a woman standing before them, instead of a dead or dying bird. The woman was quite beautiful. She had long, thick brown hair and olive skin. Her eyes were almost golden, but they had a touch of amber in them, similar to Sachie’s eyes, just brighter. Sean could tell she was much older than they were, but he couldn’t decide how old. She could have said she was twenty-five or fifty-five, and he would have accepted it. She seemed ageless in the same way Helena was, but the thing he could tell for sure was that this lady was mad.
“And exactly who are you calling lazy, dare I ask?” She glared at each of them as she spoke. She had a thick Italian accent and both of her hands were planted firmly on her hips. Though her flames were out, Sean could have sworn he felts burns on his cheeks when she looked at him. Luckily, most of her wrath seemed to be directed at Mateo. Sean knew one of these days Mat’s mouth would get him in trouble.
“No one, señora, no one. And especially not you!” Mateo twirled around her like a tiny tornado, then gracefully fell into a low bow.
“Excuse me, but are you our creature guide, and have you been watching us this whole time?” Sachie seemed impressed by the woman.
“Si, I am, and yes, I have been. You may call me Sienna. I wanted to see how you handled yourselves and what you were capable of. The portals can be treacherous, but you all—well, you, sir”—she pointed at Sean—“rose to the challenge. Marco will be quite impressed when he hears the tale.”
Sean blushed. He really didn’t like being the center of attention. He was just relieved he’d been able to heal Isabel. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but he didn’t have to, since Sachie wasn’t done with her questions.
“Sorry, but how did you do that? It was amazing! You transformed into a human with fire. Are you a phoenix?”
“I am,” she said simply, with a hint of a smile.
“Wow! That’s so cool. And your feathers, they’re so beautiful… The colors, they’re just like my dragon scales. Is that normal?”
“There’s nothing normal about you or me, but yes, all creatures born of fire have some common coloring. Although, phoenixes are the brightest and most beautiful of all the fire-born.”
“Fire-born? I’ve never heard of that term, but it’s perfect. What other creatures are considered fire-born?”
“We will discuss that at a later time, but first, we must get you to Marco. He’ll be expecting us. Come.” And with that, the phoenix woman offered her hands to them expectantly.
Sean looked at the others in confusion. What did she want them to do? He could tell that the rest of them had no clue, either.
“Well, what’re you waiting for? We must make haste. Take my hands and form a chain. We cannot stay out here. It’s not safe. The Alchemists may have sensed your arrival, and I will not have them discovering your presence on my watch.”
“The Alchemists are here?” Sean squeaked.
“Si, of course they are. They’re in every time since the beginning of human civilization,” Sienna said. “Here in Florence they’re extremely powerful, and they have many spies. So please stop your dallying and take my hands. We must fly!”
Sean had no idea how they were going to fly by taking her hands, but he could see she was getting impatient with them. Sachie was the first to take her hand, and Mateo took the other one. Sean grabbed Sachie’s and Isabel took Mateo’s.
“Pronto! We fly!” And with that, they were engulfed in flames.
As the four dragons and the phoenix disappeared into a fiery bridge of flames, a hooded figure stepped out from behind a rather thick copse of nearby trees. He’d been completely invisible to the group. As he removed the enchanted cloak, his form was again visible to the world. He inspected the area where the children had last been. The shorter girl had been badly injured, and there were still traces of her blood in the bushes where she’d landed. The man reached into his coat and pulled out several small glass vials. He patiently filled three of them with the young dragon’s blood.
Yes, he thought, this may come in handy in the future. Keket would be pleased with him. She would know how to use this to their advantage.
He continued to search the small clearing for any other hidden treasures the children may have left behind. As he did, his mind replayed the scene he’d just witnessed. These children all spoke with a strange accent. They did not sound like any English speakers he had ever heard before. They also used words he was unfamiliar with. Then there was the boy who healed the injured girl. That was an impressive show of power for one so young. Who were these dragons, and where had they come from?
No matter—he had what he’d come for, and he’d done what he was told. Keket had seen that they would arrive in this place, and as always, she was right. While he appreciated his sister’s gifts, he grew tired of her smugness. She was already an insufferable know-it-all, and her desire for power and her greed were both becoming rather troublesome. Keket was insatiable, and while he would like to put her in her place, he knew he was not her equal. No, he had to keep his head down and bide his time. He knew that only Khalfani could truly challenge her, so he would play his part and take the few precious treasures he’d found to her.
As far as these young dragons, he’d have to wait to see if they were the ones she’d been searching for all this time. Gods, he hoped they were. He was tired of being sent on these endless errands, but on the other hand, he wondered if they would finally be the ones who put a stop to her madness. If they didn’t, he would be at the will of his eldest brother. Would Khal ever really stand up to Keket?
Gods! The years must really be catching up to him. He didn’t usually waste this much time daydreaming. He took one last look around, tucked the vials back into his coat and quickly made his way back to the city. With his powers, he should make it back shortly after that pesky Sienna arrived at the Bernardi estate. With a sharp click of his heels, he was gone, speeding through the trees like a bolt of lightning.
“That was amazing,” Sachie and Mateo squealed in unison when they arrived. Sachie wasn’t a fan of traveling by portal, since it always made her feel like she was in a car about to crash, but traveling by fire was so different, exhilarating even. It was like being on the tallest, fastest rollercoaster, but better. Sienna called it a fire bridge. She just wished they could go again.
“Hey Sienna, can we have another go?” Mateo asked, taking the words right out of her mouth.
“My powers are not for your amusement, boy,” Sienna said sharply.
Sienna was a strange bird… literally. Sachie snickered at her own joke.
Sean eyed her quizzically. He looked a little green. Apparently not everyone had enjoyed the ride like she and Mateo did. It was odd that Sean never liked rollercoasters being that he was an excellent surfer. He would fearlessly ride waves that were taller than most two-story buildings, but put him on a coaster and he would be the first to lose his lunch.
“You are now in the Palazzo di Bernardi. This is where you will eat, sleep and learn magic. It will be your home and your school until the term is finished. You will abide by the rules and obey myself and Professore Bernardi unconditionally. If Marco says jump, you will ask how high. If I say run, you will ask how fast. This is not a democracy, nor a quorum, this is absolute rule, and we are in charge. Do you understand?”
Whoa, she’s intense, Sachie thought. She still liked Sienna despite her controlling demeanor. There was an energy about her that Sachie was drawn to. She wondered if this was trait of all phoenixes or even all fire creatures. Sachie knew she had the tendency to be rather controlling herself, but maybe it had nothing to do with being a fire creature. Maybe something bad had happened, and that was why she was so strict. Either way, Sienna was wound tighter than even Madame Ivonov, and that was saying something.
“We understand,” they all said in unison.
“Bene. Professore Bernardi is out now, but he will return this afternoon. While he is away, you may get settled in your rooms and explore the palazzo. Do not leave the house.”
Sienna eyed them all with her fiery gaze. Sachie felt pricks of heat hit her cheeks, and she immediately touched her face. It felt cool to the touch, but she knew Sienna must have used her magic.
“It’s not safe right now,” she said in warning, “and you’ll be easily marked as outsiders which will draw undue attention to yourselves and this household. When Marco returns, he will teach you the lingua spell, pronto! You cannot go around speaking English as you are now. You all sound like you are from another planet instead of another country.” Sienna shook her head in disgust as she said these last words.
The lingua spell must be a spell for learning languages. Man, that would have been amazing to know back home, Sachie mused. Her Advanced French homework would have been a snap with that in her back pocket. Oh well, she would know it soon enough, and her verb conjugations would be perfect—or parfait en Français!
“Pardon me, Miss Sienna, but why isn’t it safe to leave the house? Does it have to do with the Alchemists being here?” Isabel asked.
“Si. They have eyes and ears everywhere, and we cannot afford another loss, not so soon.” Sienna’s eyes looked haunted as she spoke.
“What happened?” Sachie asked.
“The Alchemists must know something about the prophecy. They’ve started targeting dragon twins,” Sienna said in a hushed voice. “It started with a set of twins in Turkey that died mysteriously in a fire about thirty years ago, then ten years later another set of twins disappeared. Each time these things happened, no bodies were recovered. I don’t know how they’re finding them, but as soon as they do, they attack. Last week we lost a powerful air dragon. Her twin survived, but she’s not the same. It’s like that for twins. Once one is lost, then other finds it difficult to continue on.”
Sachie thought about what it would be like to lose her brother. She felt nauseous at the thought. Even when he was annoying, she couldn’t think about life without him. He was her best friend, her family… her other half.
I feel the same way, Sach.
Oh Sean, I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.
Me either, so let’s make sure we learn everything we can so we can stop these people. They’ve taken enough from us already.
Agreed, brother.
Sachie felt tears burning behind her eyes. She would not cry. She would be strong, strong enough for all of them. She looked at Mateo and Isabel. They seemed to be just as affected as she and Sean were. Then she looked at Sienna, who was now staring at her and her brother, her head cocked to the side. She looked oddly like her bird form now.
“You two are different than any other dragons I have encountered in my six hundred and fifty years. I will have to keep my eyes on you,” Sienna said.
“What do you mean?” Sean asked.
“I think you know already, but we will not discuss it now. Go get cleaned up. I will have the cook prepare you something to eat.”
Sienna burst into flames and was gone.
Everyone headed upstairs to get cleaned up. Sachie found her room, and she immediately flopped down on the feather bed and let out a long sigh. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was until that moment. Time travel really took a lot out of her. As she lay there, she heard her stomach growl. Yeah, she needed to get some food before she passed out, but before she could do that, she really needed to wash her face.
She was just about to pour some water into the basin when she heard Mateo and Isabel calling out. Their voices were low but insistent. Sachie stood up and peeked around the corner to see what was going on. The two of them were in the room across the hall from her, and they were gesturing frantically for her and Sean to come over.
Sachie slowly walked across the hall with Sean right behind her. “What’s up?” she asked.
“Wait, not yet,” Isabel whispered. “Sean, quick, close the door.”
Sachie rolled her eyes as her brother closed the door. Why were they acting so strange? “Okay, what’s going on?” she said. “What’s with the cloak and dagger?”
“Sean, you still have the prophecy Madame Ivonov gave you, right?” Mateo asked.
“Yeah, it’s right here,” he said as he pulled it out of his pocket.
Everyone stared at the tiny box in his hands. In all the craziness of arriving in Florence, Sachie had completely forgotten about the prophecy! Were they going to read it now? Would it even make any sense?
