Phoenix hadn't seen much of Altair, Audra or Trey in the few days since Audra had revealed herself, but with Castor, Finny, Bainon and Eric's military knowledge, they didn't have need for him.

"Besides," Maverick said, walking through the streets of Quarten at her side. "Best to keep Trey in hiding, looking like he's a part of a normal family so no one gets wise to who and what he is."

"It's so funny," Phoenix said, her breath a puff of fog in the cold air. "When I thought I was one of the only Guardians in existence, I thought I'd be the special one to save us all. Turns out it's a ten-year-old boy."

"Trust me, you don't want to be the special one with all the focus," Maverick said, tugging his cloak tighter. "It only causes trouble."

"Hear, hear," Eric agreed. His breath didn't show up, his body temperature nearly as low as that of the air.

"Don't you think it's strange that you both grew up with the same weight on your shoulders?" Phoenix asked, looking for the right shop. "I mean, Narissa and Bainon told Eric he would be king and he had to lead the Army. Claire and Norman told you that you'd be king, and Helena expected you to lead the Militia."

"What's your point?" Maverick asked, pointing at a sign up ahead indicating the messenger's office.

"My point is you both now are working together."

"And it's Maverick's destiny, not mine." Eric smirked at them.

"But it is." Phoenix stopped, forcing the other two to turn and face her. She studied them for a brief moment--Maverick, tall and square with dark auburn hair and square features; Eric, tall and lean with sharp edges and almost white hair. Side by side, Phoenix realized they both looked opposite of her--darker and lighter in turn.

"It is...what?" Maverick asked.

"It's both. Mav, it's your destiny to be king. Gwen doesn't want it--hells, every time it gets brought up she practically crawls out of her own skin, but you aren't military minded. You just aren't. I can't remember half of my time with the Militia, but I remember you dragging your feet. And Eric, nothing in you wants to be the benevolent leader making laws--but no one has military skills like you."

"So, your point is..." Eric said, glancing at Maverick.

"My point is you both had the same destiny, but only half of it applied to you. One of you will be king, and the other one should lead the king's Army."

A dawning look of understanding cross over both their faces and they turned to each other. Maverick held out his arm, palm up.

"Ares, will you lead my Army and do your best to keep Braskey safe from outside threats when I take my throne?"

Eric gripped Maverick's forearm, holding his gaze. "Your highness, I pledge my loyalty to you for as long as you lead with integrity and honor."

"And I'll end you both if you become like your predecessors," Phoenix said, smacking them both on the back. "Now let's go send that message."

#

With messengers sent far and wide to spread the word of their new plan--or half plan--Phoenix, Mav, and Eric returned the long walk back to the mayor's home.

"Have you remembered anything new?" Maverick asked, walking on Phoenix's left. "You said you still can't remember most of your time after you and Abigail left the Militia."

Phoenix sensed Eric tense on her right, and she reached out and squeezed his hand. They'd told her Abigail died. "I can't. Altair couldn't help me. He tried to jog my memory as much as possible, but short of making a physical connection to that past, I may never recover it."

"Maybe Castor could help," Eric said, not looking at her. "He spent time with you while you were in Osha--not much, but..." he trailed off.

"I don't remember Castor, or Samson, or whoever he is. When I look at him, I feel like I should. But I don't."

"It must be so strange for Altair," Maverick said. "To go from thinking the one you loved is dead to finding out she's alive and you're a father."

"I can't even imagine," Eric said.

Something in Phoenix's memory wriggled, willing her to remember, but it vanished as soon as it came.

"Not to mention your son is the key to the destruction of the traitor you've been tracking for years." Maverick shook his head. "I wonder when we'll see them again."

"We'll have to see Trey again," Eric said. "As we apparently can't do this without him."

They reached the mayor's house after the long climb up the slanted street. When they crossed the long hall into the sitting room, they found Castor alone.

"Where's everyone else?" Maverick asked, moving to warm up before the fire. Phoenix looked at Eric, who grinned--neither of them felt cold.

"Finny and Gwen are gathering supplies, and Bainon went with the mayor to speak to the town elders about your--are you really calling it a plan?"

"It's all we have right now," Eric said. "It's the most planny plan we've planned."

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor," Phoenix said, elbowing him. "You were always so--"

"Dour?" Eric suggested. "Magical restraints put on your mind can do that to you. I'm not sure I've ever been me, not really."

"You were close last you were in Osha," Castor said, not looking at any of them, his fingers steepled as he stared at the wall opposite where he sat. "You were returning when everything happened."

"What I'm most worried about," Eric said, changing the subject, "is what happens if Aundreya and Noelle get anywhere within range of us. You and I can withstand it, but what good would a battalion do against them?"

"Which is why we need to get to Noelle before Aundreya knows we're coming," Phoenix said. "If the three of us can get in, we can reach her. I know we can."

"Do you think she's just under Aundreya's influence?" Eric asked. "Maybe Canya--Audra--is wrong?"

"I don't know." It was Maverick who spoke. He was half lit by the fire, the flames dancing in his eyes as he stared at them. "We left her. We left her with Abigail dead and Helena triumphed. We left her in the hands of her sister."

"Whom she hates," Phoenix added.

"Yeah--we left her with someone who hates her more than anyone else. I don't know what Aundreya has put Noelle through, but between her power of manipulation and lies, and the knowledge that we abandoned her? For all she knows, we're all dead. She's alone."

"She has Roman," Phoenix said.

"And Roman is susceptible to Aundreya," Eric concluded. "They're both, at least to an extent, at her will. And Helena has the power of the Ancient on her side--who knows what that is or how it might manipulate a situation."

"So we do what we planned." Phoenix shot a look at Castor, but he didn't acknowledge it. "We send word to everyone you've rallied and tell them when and where to be. Then we sneak back into Osha castle--"

"Somehow without being caught," Eric threw in.

"--and rescue Noelle. Roman, too, if we can get to him. We need Noelle on our side. If she's on the traitor's side, who knows what they can make her do."

"Amplifying Aundreya won't be our biggest problem if the traitor has an amplifiable gift," Castor agreed. "You won't stand a chance against an Ancient magnified to be ten times more powerful than they were when they killed Helix and Tremaine."

"I still don't know how we're going to do that with or without Noelle," Phoenix said. "How do we take on an Ancient? We can't ask one of you to kill them--that would be going against your nature. We can't ask you to fall for the sake of us," Phoenix said.

"You don't have to."

Phoenix whirled around and saw Trey in the doorway. Audra and Altair were with him--the perfect family portrait.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked.

"Castor said he thought you were strong enough to kill him," Trey said, pointing at Eric.

"That was when I was in a much darker place." Eric shook his head. "I can't just go back there."

"You don't need to." Trey stepped up, taking Eric by the hand. "You're thunder." He reached out his right hand to grab Phoenix's hand. "And you're lightning." He brought their hands together.

"I thought we were fire and ice?" Phoenix said.

"I do bring thunder, though," Eric said with a shrug. "It's always followed me."

"And, after much discussion," Altair said, glancing at Audra. "We think you might be able to bring lightning."

"All you need is a key." Audra stepped up behind Trey putting her hands on his shoulders. "To unite you."

"And control the weather," Castor said, eyes widening. "Trey can bring the elements together--all of them. Earth, wind, fire, and water--the weather."

"Which we can use to our advantage." Eric frowned. "But what if the traitor has a gift that coincides the way ours does?"

"Unlikely," Altair said. "The strongest of us had gifts from the basic elements or spirit. Elyo and Selene had the two sides of light; Castor and myself are wind and earth; Finny and Qi are wisdom and knowledge; Zenith and Juno are what will be and what was. Helix and Tremaine were like you two."

"Fire and ice?" Phoenix asked.

"No, lightning and thunder." Altair gestured to Trey. "They could bring it on their own. They worked together. It was the perfect pair."

"With the right combination," Eric said, "we could reflect them. Which means--"

"We could finish what they started." Phoenix nodded.

"We can take out the Ancient who destroyed them."

"It's not enough." Maverick turned to face them all, his cheeks pinkened by the heat of the fire. "I want to talk to the Ancient Circle. I think it's time they face us." He glanced at Phoenix and Eric. "Faced them. It's time they had a chance to meet the people who might be plotting against them."

Castor and Altair shared a long, unreadable look. Finally, Castor nodded.

Altair pursed his lips. "All right, then. Let's call a meeting of the circle."

What? Yes. It's about time we saw them all again, don't you think? Especially if one of them might be the traitor. PLUS they might have a role to play in the final epic battle...if there is one.

Oh who am I kidding. There HAS to be SOMETHING to form the climax of this book (chapters and chapters away from now).

Who's excited to see the Circle again?