Phoenix stared down at her hands, waiting for something to happen. Altair let out a sigh of frustration.

"You can't just sit there. You have to make it happen." 

"Make fire shoot out of my hands." Phoenix's dry tone was nothing compared to the skepticism she felt inside. "That's ridiculous."

"You can take heat from anything--even me--but making fire out of that heat is ridiculous?" Altair asked, folding his arms. "Your lack of imagination is disappointing."

Phoenix shot him a quick glare before wiggling her fingers and focusing. She could feel the heat in the room - from the lit fire in the grate, the steaming kettle on the table, and even from Altair and herself. Pulling at the strands of it, she held it all together until she felt a spark. A ball of fire appeared in the palm of her hand and she let out a yelp of triumph.

"It's about time," Altair said, though he grinned down at her like a proud parent. "Now extinguish it and do it again." 

Phoenix closed her hand, killing the fire, and her heart dropped a bit at the disappearance. The next time, it came easier and without much thought. The fire appeared in her hand as if it had always been there, and she let out another gleeful squeal. 

"Good, now that you've mastered walking, talking, and most of your gifts, it's time to plan your next move." 

"I take this fire and I go kill the traitor," Phoenix said, matter-of-fact though the words were not ones she'd spoken. 

Altair's brows arched in surprise. "You remember the traitor?"

"Yes. Yes! I remember something!" Phoenix let the fire die and grabbed Altair by his broad shoulders. "I remember there's a traitor. He or she...they?...are the reason..." she paused, trying to grasp whatever was on the edge of her thoughts. "They're the reason I died." 

"Are you saying the traitor is who killed you?"

Phoenix closed her eyes, trying to remember her death. She could remember the pain - horrible, intense - but somehow that wasn't linked to her death. If anything, dying freed her from the agony she had suffered. It had saved her.

"No. I don't think so. Do you know who killed me?"

Altair hesitated. "I've heard it was a woman named Canya. Someone you barely knew and had little interaction with. She stabbed you with a dagger."

Phoenix shook her head. "She's not the traitor. I don't think she was trying to hurt me."

"She stabbed you."

"Not nice, I agree, but...something feels...wrong." 

"Death and resurrection aren't generally right."

"No, I mean--" Phoenix searched the room as if the right word would pop out at her. "I think I had to die. I wish I hadn't forgotten almost everything. Even the little bits that are coming back don't feel like the most important parts. And everything you tell me about Ares feels foreign and wrong."

"But..." Altair said, peering at her with an intense gleam in his eyes.

"But I think that woman helped me by killing me. I'm stronger now. That's what you said last week - my strength is improved. I can sense things around me, like heat. Maybe I did that before, but I don't remember it. I remember the fire, now that I have it." 

"So your plan is to take this fire and go kill a traitor you have no idea the identity of."

"Basically, yes." Phoenix lost steam, dropping down into a chair. "How do I find someone I don't know? There are others like me, aren't there? Maybe they can help."

"Ares is like you." 

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "Fine. If it's so important to you, let's go find Ares. Maybe he'll know what to do. Now, where is he?"

Altair pursed his lips. "I have no idea."

"How do you have no idea? You're a Watcher. You watch things." Phoenix stood up and turned her back on him, placing a hand on the chair as she leaned against it.

"Yes, but in the last month, I've been down here with you. I couldn't very well leave you on your own when you couldn't hold a spoon. I haven't connected with Castor since your funeral pyre."

Phoenix glanced over her shoulder. "Castor?"

"Ares' Watcher. You've met him." 

There was a strange intonation to Altair's words, and Phoenix frowned. "The name sounds vaguely familiar."

"Only vague? No memories tied to it?"

She shook her head. "Just an impression of having known someone by that name. Why? Did I know him well?"

Altair shrugged. "That would depend on who you ask."

"How do we find them if you don't know where they are. Can't you just do some Ancient thing and figure it out?"

"I could, but what would be the fun in that?" Altair stood, grinning. "I say we do this the old fashioned way."

"Wander around Braskey hoping to bump into them?"

"Nope." Altair moved about the little cottage, pulling out supplies. "We go to the nearest town and check for news of wind or snowstorms. Then we'll know where they are."

Phoenix rested her hip against the table and folded her arms. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." 

#

Canya sat on the floor, cradling her head between her knees.

"Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop, stop, stop stop," she muttered, rocking back and forth.

Too late. Not enough time.

She's on the move. Reunite the cores. Protect the key.

Dangerous movement in the castle--death will come swiftly.

Beware - an icy death comes for you.

Audra.

A small hand brushed the top of her head and she jerked up. Trey cocked his head, his hair still mussed from sleep.

"Did I wake you?" she asked, unable to make him unsee her disheveled state.

"I heard you," he said, his wide brown eyes so innocent as he stared down at her. 

"I'm sorry," Canya mumbled, pushing herself to a standing position. "I didn't realize I was being so loud. You can go back to bed, now."

"No. I heard you." Trey's eyebrows furrowed, his little lips pursing. "In here." He tapped the side of his head. "You said to protect the key. And something about an icy death." 

It was as though she'd been dropped into a bucket of ice water. Goosebumps rose on her flesh and she sucked in a breath, her worst fear realized.

"You hear them, too?" she asked.

"I hear you," Trey said again as he took her hand. "Is it because of this?" He tapped his throat and then pointed to hers. Canya reached up to touch the metal collar she wore.

"In some ways, yes." 

"What does it do?"

"It stops me from being me." 

"And who are you?" 

Canya's jaw clamped shut. She couldn't force herself to speak even if she wanted to. Trey nodded as though he could somehow understand.

"We should get someone to take that off," he said, looking around the little inn room they'd rented. "I don't like the voices."

"You should never have heard them," Canya said, fighting back tears. "I never wanted you to hear them." 

"Don't worry." Trey smiled up at her. "They don't scare me."

"Do you know what they are?"

Trey paused, considering the question. After a long moment, he nodded. "Yes."

Another chill swept over Canya. "How much do you know?"

The little boy cocked his head to the side once more, offering her a sly smile. "More than you wanted me to. We need to go."

"Where?"

"You'll see." 

Canya allowed him to lead her out of the room, despite her unkempt hair and the sun not yet having risen. "How do you know where you're going? You're eight and this is a village you've never been to."

Trey paused, turning to look up at her again. "Please don't pretend. We both know I know which way to go." 

As he led her out, Canya bit back a sob. She never should have taken him. Being this close together was affecting him, making him like her.

Like your father before you. You wretched, miserable, hideous creature.

They're coming. You'll die. The boy or the pie? Run and hide and don't attack.

The key is turned, no turning back.

Come home, Audra.

Phoenix and Altair are finally heading out to track down Eric and Castor! Phoenix still doesn't have her memories - think they'll ever return?

Also, Canya. What do you guys think? Will Eric reach her and give her the 'icy death' the voices tell her she'll have? What do you think she's doing to Trey? WHAT IS GOING ON?!

Tell me who you want  to hear from next and maybe they'll be the focus of Monday's chapter! (Noelle, Roman, Mav, Eric, other?)