Page 28 of Phoenix Academy: Mayhem

As I reach the outer edges of the trees, their numbers thin. There's short grass between them, tickling my ankles. The air smells of summer. It reminds me of so many days in the woods with my mother and sister.

My mother and sister...

The thought alarms me. I can see my mother's body covered in blood. Can hear her screams as the Heretic stabbed her over and over again. I tried to distract Lizzy, to comfort her, but in the end she saw my death as well. Nothing could save her from the horror of the last hours of her life.

Suddenly it all slams into me: we're not home. This was never our home. This is just a strange magical island in the middle of Hell.

And it's lulled us into complacency.

"Oh my god. Oh my—fuck." Frantic, I turn to face the guys, trying to figure out what to do next. "We have to get out of here."

They frown at me, looking puzzled. Especially Xavier. "You're not making any sense."

"You guys don't see it because..." I search for a reason why, but can't find one. Maybe it's because I haven't eaten the fruit or drank the water in a while. Or my naturalistic senses and witch power. "I'll show you. I'm sure that I can. I just have to hold on to the truth."

I can already feel it dripping out of my head. My mind wants to believe in everything around me: the peaceful surface of the wide clear lake, the soft surrah of tree branches brushing together, and the silken feel of wild grass brushing my bare legs. Everything here is peaceful. Easy. Calm. There's nothing to worry about, no past to haunt me or future to grind me down.

Seeing a yellow-orange in the low-hanging branches of a tree near me, I'm filled with the temptation to reach up and pluck it. Sink my teeth into its soft flesh and skin. Let it fill my mouth and soothe my broken heart.

There's something else in the trees.

It takes me a moment to focus on its shape. Whatever it is, it moves so quickly that it's practically a blur. The small creature flits back and forth in the upper boughs of the tree, its wings flapping so fast I can barely see them.

"Hey!" I stride forward, pointing up into the trees. "What is that? Have you guys seen something like it before?"

Xavier frowns, awareness entering his expression. "No, I... I haven't seen anything alive in here other than us, before now."

"It's a melon bat," Reggie says. "Or at least that's what I'm naming it now."

The creature flits down to the lower branches of the trees and lands on one of them, staring down into our faces. Now that it's so near, I can see that it's much bigger than I assumed—almost two feet high, with a human-like shape and soft golden skin covered by a shimmering silk dress. It reminds a little of... well, a pixie, like Shimmer, who teaches one of my classes.

My classes at Phoenix Academy. The school where I go. It's my home, which is, I'm realizing now, very far away from here.

"I'm not a bat." The creature tucks its gossamer fairy wings against its back, a distinctly feminine voice coming from its golden mouth. "I am Nehamae, the guide of this circle of Hell. I harvest lost souls and guide those who leave the path. And the four of you have thoroughly left your path."

"But my magic led us here," I counter, my mind forming pieces of memories. Beside me, David reaches up to pluck a melon from the tree, and I swat the fruit out of his hand. "Why would my magic want us to come here if it's not a part of our path?"

"Fuck if I know." It's strange to hear curse words coming from the mouth of such a delicate little creature. "Human magic is often lost in this place. It can be guided, but seldom in the right direction. That's why I'm here—to show you to the door, which you have somehow left behind." She sniffs and jumps out of the tree, landing in the meadow grass and staring up at us imperiously. "Follow me if you wish to live."

"Live?" Reggie stares at her with a frown on his face. "We're not dying."

"Au contraire, human shapeshifter, you very much are. The three of you, at least—I can't say the same for the phoenix." She waves her hand in my direction. "Her spirit alone may survive down here for generations to come. But the three of you have been tethered to the bowels of Hell body and spirit. You won't last long before your spirits are unmoored from your bodies... at which point, Hell will own you for eternity."

"Doesn't sound that bad if I can stay down here." Reggie brings a piece of fruit towards his mouth, and I wrench it from his grip. "Hey! I was going to eat that."

"Which is exactly the problem." I throw the fruit on the ground and stomp on it thoroughly. "Let's get your clothes. We're following the creature—Nehamae, sorry—out of here one way or another. I'm not going to let the three of you die in Hell."

The little fairy adds, "You should listen to her. This place is ephemeral. It won't last for long. Once it's gone..." She snaps her fingers and bares her teeth. "The demons will tear you limb from limb. And unlucky you, that won't be the end of it, because your spirits will reassemble and it'll happen all over again. And again. And... well, you get the picture."

I definitely do. But I realize that I need to make sure this fairy is trustworthy before I let her lead us through Hell towards the unknown. So I tap into my naturalistic senses for the first time in ages and unfurl them around me.

Reaching towards the fairy, I sense her consciousness. She startles at my touch, then sighs. "Fine, witch. Go inside my head if it reassures you."

It will. Just like I would with a deer or a wolf, I dive into her conscious and subconscious mind. What I find is a strange new world. The fairy—that's what she is, I've decided—can see in what feels like a dozen colors. Her eyes sense parts of the light spectrum I didn't even realize were visible. With sensitive skin, she can feel every ounce of magic around her, including the aura of my witch powers.

There's no deceit inside her mind. Weariness for the journey ahead, and more than a little bit of frustration that she's saddled with us, but she's telling the truth. A long time ago an ancient mage set her here to help wandering souls return to their rightful place—and it's all she's done since, for what must be centuries.

Many of those she's tried to help have died down here instead.

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