Sofia: Phoenix Rising - Fire and Water Book 2
Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Thankfully I didn’t run into Ashley the rest of the day because if I had, my butt would be in big trouble from hurting her. The final bell of the day rings and I head out into the school parking lot making a bee line towards my Mazda. I see that Ash managed to park his Jeep Renegade next to my car and it makes me smile. I decide I will wait until he comes out. I want to know why he hasn’t mentioned that I knew where my parents were being held.

Since it’s quite cold outside, I turn my car on and blast the heat. Suddenly my radio goes ballistic, jumping radio stations like it has been possessed.What in the world? As the radio calms, all interior lighting in my car begin to flicker and then my car starts to rock back and forth like someone is shaking it. Placing my hands on the steering wheel, I look around frantically as I try to figure out what is happening to me. Hitting the button to turn my ignition off, the car goes quiet, and I sigh. Placing my hand on the door handle, I pull on it to open the door and it won’t budge. My car starts back up all on its own and everything I had just experienced starts all over again.

This all occurs for a couple of minutes and then the silence descends. No sounds, no movement of my car, engine shuts off and attempting once more, I replace I am able to open my car door. Getting out of the car quickly, I look around the lot and see Blake and Ashley a couple of cars down from me standing by Blake’s big black truck. It looks like he is yelling at her, and it makes me wonder if she is the reason why my car was going crazy. The phoenix flares and I can feel heat protruding from my hands. Looking at them, I see flames rippling off of them and I stalk towards Ashley. Halfway to them I feel someone’s arms wrap around my waist and lifting me off the ground, swings me away from them.

I growl out, “what the hell! Put me down, let me go!” Whomever held me does as I ask, and I feel my feet touch the ground. Spinning around, I look into Ash’s intense blue eyes. “Why did you do that?” I ask him, breathing hard.

“Hey baby, calm yourself please. What’s going on? Why are you suddenly hell bent on attacking Ashley, my love?” He places his hands on either side of my face and caresses my cheeks with his thumbs in the process, absorbing some of my anger.

“That WITCH locked me inside my car and did something to it, causing it to act like it was possessed! Now let me go so I can go kick her ass for it!” Ash chuckles and pulls me in against his chest, essentially wrapping me up in his arms in a hug and let me tell you, it pisses me off! I worm my arms up until I am able to put my hands against his chest and then the phoenix and I push him away from us (a little more forcefully than I intended). He flies back about two feet from where he had been but manages to land on his feet due to his panther, I am sure.

With a flick of my hand, Ashley is tossed onto her butt, and I march right up to her. Towering over her, I look her in the face; “how dare you! If you ever do anything like that to me again, you will live to regret it! This is your one and only warning!” Clenching my fists at my sides, I contain my flames within me, storm over to my car, climb inside and peel out of the parking lot.

Pulling into my driveway and with my car idling in park, I think about what I had just done. I am not the shy, hide myself from the world girl I was seven and a half months ago. I am still shocked at myself for confronting Ashley the way I did, but I smile to myself because I am also very proud of myself for not letting her get away with bullying me. After a moment of contemplating how much I have changed, I shut my car off and get out. Just as I shut my door, I hear Ash turn into the driveway. Waiting for him to put his Jeep in park, I walk over to him and stand by the door as he opens it.

Flinging myself into his arms as he gets out, I cause him to lose his balance and we tumble backwards into the Jeep. Falling on top of him I giggle and then begin placing kisses all over his face. “I am so sorry,” I say in between kisses. “I didn’t mean to push you so hard. Can you forgive me?” I finish my kisses by placing my lips against his and kiss him deeply.

“Um, should we finish your apology up in the bedroom?” He says with a grin as he slowly maneuvers us into a sitting position. I slap him playfully on the arm and then hop out of his Jeep. Once he gets out, we walk up the steps and into the house. As I shut the door behind us, I feel Ash come up behind me and then feel his arms go around me. I thought he was going to give me a hug, so I turn into him. Oh, was I wrong! He hooks his arm under my butt and then throws me over his shoulder. As I’m squealing out an ’ah’, he turns on his heel and dashes up the stairs and into the bedroom. I guess he was being serious about me finishing that apology!

Lying in bed, snuggled up next to Ash, we both are quiet, content in each other’s arms. The conversation between Blake and I this morning pops into my head though, “Ash, why haven’t you mentioned that I had found out where my parents are being held captive?”

“No real reason. I just didn’t want you trying to run off and rescue them until I knew you were well enough and strong enough to travel anywhere. We can go up after school on Friday if you want to. We’ll assess the situation and then come back home and make a plan to break them out.”

“Oh yes please! Can we leave straight from school this time though? I don’t want anything hindering us from going.” There is still a nagging feeling in my mind that I didn’t just wind up getting sick the last time, that my sickness was induced somehow. However, I don’t know how or even who would have wanted to keep me from going up there.

“Yeah cool. We can do that. I’ll send Charlie a mess--”

“No! I mean, I want it to be just you and me going up there for the first run. We can come back and tell the others what we know and devise a plan.” He looks at me confused but I will have to let him be confused because I don’t know exactly why I don’t want anyone to come with us myself.

“Okay, that’s fine with me.” Ash leans over and I thought he was going to say something sweet about our upcoming trip but nope; instead, he whispers, “let’s go make some food for dinner, I’m starving.”

He grins widely at me, and I burst out in laughter, “you’re such a butt!” But then I say okay, and we throw some clothes on before heading down the stairs and into the kitchen to see what we can replace to make to eat. “Hey now, I see frozen pizza!” I pull the box out of the freezer and toss it on the kitchen counter and then ask Ash to set the oven to 425 degrees. He nods his head yes and then hands me a cookie sheet before walking over to the stove and turning it on.

“Oh wow, that was some really good pizza,” Ash states as he tosses his napkin aside. “You want me to grab you another slice?” He stands to get himself some more, but I shake my head no. Shockingly, I am quite full from the two slices I have already consumed. Just as he takes his seat again, a yawn escapes my lips. Ash catches me yawing; “are you tired?” He glances at his phone. “It’s only 8:30.” He adds in a questioning voice. I try to say no but another yawn falls from my mouth instead.

I duck my head. No use in trying to deny it. I am dead tired, and I feel like I could fall asleep in my seat. I give him a pouty face but nod my head yes. He stuffs the last bite into his mouth, stands up and pulls me to my feet. “Come on babe, let’s get you to bed!”