Page 10 of Rage of the Fallen

CHAPTER FIVE

Lisa’s words hung in the air despite Damon’s reaction. I felt torn, my mind racing as I tried to process what she’d said. The phoenix could supercharge all the artifacts? It sounded too good to be true, and with Lisa’s track record, it definitely could be.

I glanced at Damon and saw the skepticism etched on his face. He’d always been the first to call out Lisa’s lies, even when I wanted to believe her. But this time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be telling the truth.

Rage was unlike anything we’d faced before. Ten times more powerful than any demon we’d encountered. And the mirror, our go-to weapon, was useless against him. That had never happened before. The rules we’d relied on were crumbling around us.

But what if the phoenix could supercharge the mirror? The mythical bird held power over life and death itself. Maybe that included the power to extinguish a demon like Rage. It was a big “if,” but with the stakes this high, could we afford to ignore it?

I turned away from Damon, feeling the weight of his disapproval, and looked at Justice. I had a feeling he’d come to the same conclusion I had. We needed to take this chance.

“Lisa,” I began, my voice steadier than I felt. “If you’re lying about this, if it’s another one of your tricks…” I let the threat hang unfinished.

Lisa’s eyes widened, a flash of hurt crossing her face. “Sawyer, I know I’ve betrayed your trust before, but this isn’t?—”

“Save it,” Damon cut in. “We don’t have time for another round of ‘Trust me, I’ve changed.’ Sawyer, think about this. We go after the phoenix, and we’re splitting our forces. That’s exactly what Rage wants.”

The familiar pull of loyalty toward my brother warred with a desperate need to try anything that might work. “Damon, I hear you. But if there’s even a chance Lisa’s telling the truth…”

Justice cleared his throat, drawing our attention. “Time’s running out. We need to make a decision. Sawyer, it’s your call. Do we trust Lisa and go for the phoenix or stick to the original plan?”

I looked between Damon and Lisa, feeling like the sheriff between two gunslingers trying to stop a fight. Whatever I decided, it would change everything between us. Yet, with Rage growing stronger by the minute, indecision was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Damon held up his hand. “Hold up, are we seriously considering chasing after some magical firebird on a ‘what if’? Come on, man! We’ve got a nuke of a demon breathing down our necks, and you want to go on a wild goose—er, phoenix chase?”

He glanced at me as if trying to drum up support for going after the harp first. “Look, I get it. Rage is one bad mother, makes our usual playmates look like fluffy bunnies. And yeah, our tried-and-true mirror’s about as useful as a screen door on a submarine right now. But for all we know, Lisa here could be playing us like a fiddle.”

Lisa stiffened her spine and crossed her arms. “I’m not. That’s one of the reasons why Maci wanted to keep the phoenix out of our hands.Sheunderstands its power.”

Damon ignored her and focused on me. “Fine, let’s say she’s not yanking our chain. Even if this phoenix can juice up our gear, how long’s it gonna take to find the damn thing? We’re not exactly working with a surplus of time here, in case you haven’t noticed the pay-per-view demon smackdown brewing outside.”

Justice stared at Lisa as if reading her thoughts.

Damon sighed. “Justice, man, I know that look. You’re buying what she’s selling, aren’t you? All right, all right. If we’re gonna do this, we do it smart. We split up. Half of us go for the harp. Our original plan, remember that? The other half can play bird catchers. That way, if this whole phoenix plan goes up in smoke, pun intended, we’ve still got a shot at this demon the old-fashioned way.”

I looked at my brother. We had always been on the same playing field, but not this time. I braced my shoulders and spoke in a small voice. “I say we go after the phoenix.”

Lisa gave Damon a superior smile that only spurred his frustration.

He threw his arms up in the air. “Fine. But I swear, if we end up chasing our tails while Rage turns this town into his personal playground, I’m gonna be pissed. And someone better have a spare bottle of Jack handy ‘cause I got a feeling I’m gonna need it when this is all over.”

Brody, who’d been silently assessing the situation, stepped forward, his muscular frame tense with urgency. He swept his gaze across the team. “All right,” he stated firmly. “We need to make a call, and we need to make it now.”

I gave him a nod and smiled. His ability to calm things and get the team focused was definitely appreciated. Even though I was the leader, sometimes you needed to step back and letsomeone else use their talents. In the meantime, I scanned the crowd, looking for Rage and Maci. Where were they? They had to be watching the scenario unfold.

He gestured toward the chaos, his movements sharp and precise. “We’ve got two potential game-changers, the harp and the phoenix. Both could be crucial against Rage, but we can’t pursue them simultaneously.”

His eyes narrowed as he addressed Damon, giving a curt nod of acknowledgment. “Damon’s concerns are valid. We can’t afford to chase a ‘maybe’ when we’re on a tight clock. But if Lisa’s right about the phoenix, it could give us the edge we desperately need. Here’s my take—we stick together. No splitting up. That’s how people get picked off in situations like this. We need to choose one target and commit to it fully.”

Brody uncrossed his arms and leaned in slightly. “So, team, what’s our next move? The harp we know about, or the phoenix that could potentially turn the tide? We make this decision together, right here, right now.”

His fist clenched at his side, emphasizing his words. “When we decide, we move as one unit, no hesitation. Whatever we choose, we’re in this together. We watch each other’s backs, stay alert, and adapt as needed. Time’s running out, and Rage isn’t going to wait for us to debate. What’s it going to be?”

I lowered my voice, my gaze darting around the increasingly chaotic courtyard. “The Isle of Skye,” I whispered urgently. “Come on, before Rage comes after us or the people start attacking us.”

As if on cue, a bottle smashed against a nearby wall, showering us with glass shards. The crowd’s angry shouts grew louder, more frenzied. We didn’t have much time.

Wordlessly, we formed a tight circle. I gripped Lisa’s and Justice’s hands with white-knuckled intensity. I felt Lisa’s fingers trembling in my right hand while Justice’s strong gripfilled me with strength on the left. Damon’s face was a mask of grim determination as he nodded to Justice.

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