Page 17 of Royal Lies

Whatever magic they cast to come to this reality must have required a great sacrifice because for all I knew only those of the Phoenix royal line could reincarnate. There had to have been a loophole they made, after all, I did know them. If anything I'd put my life on it they didn't just come after me for nothing. So why doesn't the girl seem to know any of her former magic spells? From the glimpses that I saw she knew far less magic than she used to. But that made no sense. I’m sure if she were to have cast a reincarnation spell, and it must have been the girl who cast it because she was the only one capable of it, she would have entangled a spell so that she and those joining her in this life would have all their memories intact. Which meant Eli must have tampered with her memories after they reincarnated. I also knew she didn’t have her memories because well she would besneering down her nose at me right now if she truly did have all her memories. She wouldn't have stood aside and let the boy attack me. No, she would have slit my throat when she found me. But she didn't.

Or does she already have all her memories back and was just playing with me? Perhaps Eli truly tampered with her memories, and if so why? Then again why did they come back in this life? Staring at the sleeping girl beside me I frowned at just what schemes she was up to now.

"Come on, we've stayed long enough here." The boy, Eli, didn't even bother to offer me the same courtesy as he offered the girl. Giving her a hand up from her makeshift sleeping bag above the trees.

All's well then.

Rolling my eyes at the boy's small dig at my pride I dusted off my ragged clothes. New little holes poked themselves in my prison suit as the boy never bothered to offer me a new form of clothing, making my walks through the woods a bit more chilly than necessary.

Gritting my teeth I glared at his back as I crawled my way down. My legs still wincing from the lashings the queen had given me. Not bothering to help me down either huh? Not to mention my powers seem to have faded once more. Without the ability to use my healing spells, I was not able to heal myself. And this was why I took up making potions, but alas when I was arrested all the healing potions I had on me were taken as well. So unless I died and came back again I would forever have this damaged leg unless it was healed now.

"Oww." The girl whined as her leg scraped against a narrow sharp branch just poking out the tall bushes.

Sighing, the boy rolled his eyes walking over to the girl just as she made it down the tree. Lifting her by the waist to make her descend quicker even if the ground was just mere inches before her. From the blue glow of his hands, I could already tell he was healing the girl from her small scrape.

How nice of him to heal hersmallcut when I had a gaping hole in my ankle and ribbons of skin around my calves. Suddenly the girl's hair stood on end, literally little strings of curls seemed to spring to life lifting from her head slightly and away from her body as if stuck by electricity.

Leaning against the boy for support before standing straight looking forward at the forest in front of us and then behind us. There it was I sensed it too, the spikes in energy around us, no doubt the boy must have sensed it as well.

"Guards." The girl whispered as I felt the sudden life energy flowing through my body, I glared up at the boy, his hands brushing against mine for a brief moment.So, was he finally willing to help me?Giving me some of his energy to replenish my fleeting magic.

Ever since I was little, I had lacked the actual magical source my brother and everyone else had. So I practiced in potions and ruins, symbols that held magic. Only when someone else gives me some of their energy can I too perform magic. As for the flames, well, they're part of my Phoenix side, I can always shoot fire from my body. But, as for any other type of magic I am dependent on the kindness of other fae.

"I knew we shouldn't have stayed here for too long, we should have dove deeper before resting." The boy, Eli, was all too quick to pin his daggers for eyes at me. Oh, how I wanted to set the boy on fire. But he only cocked a brow. Impatient as always, before rolling his eyes.

"Just cast the spell I know you can, witch." He sneered the last words, before clutching my left arm in his grip, my lessfavored arm, to keep me from spelling away. It had been more injured by the queen than my right arm. But I wasn't going to give this boy the satisfaction he craved.

As for spells, well, just because I lacked the magic didn't mean I couldn't learn them. My brother always offered me his energy back when we used to be close. Back, when he didn't betray me. Grabbing the girl with his left hand, which I noticed was far less constricting than his bruising grip on mine, to make sure I took all of us when I cast the spell. I rolled my eyes.

My magic was limited for now he made sure of that, but I could do a masking spell, enough to conceal us.

About a dozen guards showed up surrounding the campsite. Weapons held. They pointed sharp spears like daggers ready to gut us where we stood. Unfortunately for them, all they'll be able to gut would be the air. The bastards were lucky I could even cast a spell like this in my current condition to mask our things as well, or else we'd have to have left our things behind.

From the furrowed frowns and hushed murmurs the guards gave one another it wasn't hard to tell that someone had tipped off our whereabouts. I frowned looking over my shoulder to the girl, Everetta, with her sun-like golden waves. The thoughtful calculating churning of her mind told me all I needed to know. She was thinking the same thing, but now the question was who. Who told them our location and how did that person know? The guards found us way too quickly.

The boy tilted his head towards the side urging me to move towards the gap between guards as we each silently picked up our things.

Although I could mask us in my current state I wasn't so sure about sounds. And from the looks of it, the boy and girl both knew that too. Or at least weren't risking it. Once we were a good distance away I dropped the barrier collapsing to the ground. I guess my powers weren't completely back, even withthe borrowed energy I gained from the boy. I frowned, clenching a small ball of fire in my hands. I shouldn't have been this weak.

"We need to hurry, it won't take them long to find our tracks. Everetta pick up that branch. We'll use it to help sweep away our prints. Witch, set the tree over there a fire, that should help distract them." As always the boy wasted no time taking the position of leadership. The boy pointed to a trunk about six feet away, knowing fully well that in my current condition, it was more than just difficult to reach it.

Nevertheless, I have to agree, we did need a distraction. Still, the girl or he could have caused the distraction but no, a fire would have been better, they were chasing me after all and my gift was fire. All Phoenix es had the gift of fire.

Chapter 6

Eli

This was the perfect time. After that whole ordeal with those guards, our magic was drained, and we had no choice but to rest. Or at least that was my excuse. Although I have my regrets about using such underhanded tactics, this was something that needed to be done.

Reaching into my blouse pockets I pulled out the crumpled old brown withering paper. Ugh, honestly the things I must do these days. A being such as myself shouldn't have had to hold such dirty things. Pinching the edge of the crumpled piece of paper in my hands I made sure I was alone in these parts of the woods.

I told Everetta to go with Luna and make sure the guards had lost our trail. Even with our ability to sense energy, one can never be too careful. The only thing that bothered me was how eager she seemed to talk to that witch. I’ll have to do something about that later. I‘m pretty sure Everetta’s newfound fascination for that witch stemmed from something that happened earlier when we had faced those guards. Or perhaps when she had a flash of that vision. I bit down on my lower lip at the thought.

They were coming back to her now, faster than I could prevent them. When she does remember...

No, let’s not go there. I can’t go there. I can’t let what happened in the past repeat itself. Which is why I must do this.

For her own good.

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