Sofia: Phoenix Rising - Fire and Water Book 2
Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

“Sofia dear, are you okay? You have seemed to have passed out for a bit.” I hear Charlie asking just behind Ash’s right shoulder. All I can focus on is Ash and his beautiful face. I have this overwhelming feeling that I need to leave Charlie’s house and get back home to mine.

Ash takes my hand and gripping it firmly, helps me into a sitting position. “Um,” I hesitate. “Ash, can you take me home? I’m not feeling well right now.” Plus, the phoenix connected with me, and I need to tell you something without anyone around us.

He nods his head yes. “I’ve already told Charlie about the location of your parents, and we are going to aim for this coming Saturday to go and rescue them.” Ash slips his arm around my waist and helps me to stand up. Keeping his arm around my waist, I lean into him, and we make our way to Charlie’s front door.

Charlie walks behind us and holds the door while we step out onto her front porch. “Do take care of yourself dear. I hope you’re not getting sick. I would hate to have to postpone the rescue mission.” She tries to give me a sympathetic look, but the look doesn’t make it into her eyes, and I am starting to wonder what she is up to. Is she the person phoenix is referring to? I shake my head at the thought. That’s just crazy. Charlie loves me and has done nothing but helped me.

“Thank you, Charlie, we will see you later.”

Around 4 p.m. I meet up with Kestrel at the training center. When she spots me, she comes bounding up to me and gives me a big hug. “Hey you. I thought you were going to do that demonstration for everyone last night. What happened?”

“Oh shoot! I totally forgot. Ash and I drove up to Ashtabula, Ohio on Friday and didn’t get back until late last evening. I was so tired I went into my house, up to my bed and was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.”

“No problem. I was just trying to give you a hard time for ditching yesterday.” She bumps her hip into mine and then winks at me. “We could gather everyone around 7 p.m. tonight and you could do it then...” I’m shaking my head no, as she suggests this. “O-o-o-kay,” she draws out the ’O’, “what has changed that you no longer want everyone knowing?”

I shrug my shoulders at her, “honestly, I’m not sure. It is more a feeling than anything else. I just want to keep it quiet for now, only you and Ash know.” She raises her eyebrows curiously at me.

“How did Ash replace out?”

“What? Oh, um... Let’s just say that my phoenix and I are not the only ones to have fully united.” I can feel the blush creep across my neck and cheeks, but I smile through it.

“Really? Oh wow. Uh, congratulations... I think.” She grins. I roll my eyes and shove her in the arm. “Anyway,” she begins changing the subject thankfully. “We really don’t have to do anymore training. You have achieved what you needed to you know.” Kestrel looks sadly in my direction, and I can’t help but chuckle at her.

“You’re silly. Just because we don’t have to train together anymore doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out with you. I have come to consider you a dear friend, Kes.”

She smiles widely, “well then, instead of sitting here, do you want to go down to ‘The Shop’ and get a smoothie? They have the best orange, strawberry, pineapple smoothies!”

I nod my head excitedly. “That sounds like fun. I haven’t gone and just ‘hung out’ with anyone in a long time.”

Kestrel and I are laughing as we walk out of the ‘The Shop’ because she has just shared a story of one preschooler who can turn into a puppy and how the pup was romping around, chasing its tail but that when he caught his tail he yipped because he had chomped down on it really hard. “Aw, poor baby. I bet he won’t do that again for a while,” I say chittering.

“I know, right!” She says in between laughter. Placing her left hand on my upper bicep causing me to stop, Kestrel is suddenly stone still, void of all emotion, staring off to the right of us. “Do you hear that?” She looks like she is listening intently to something but whatever she can hear, is something I cannot hear. I frown confused and turn my head every which way trying to notice what her cat like hearing is in tune with at the moment.

“What? What’s going on Kes? I can’t hear anything...” Her nose twitches and she squints her eyes as she continues to stare off into the distance. We must leave now! I hear phoenix say within me. “Kestrel, we’ve got to go, now!” I grab her hand and pull her away from ’The Shop’. “Run!” We just barely clear the block before we hear an earsplitting screech, high pitched whistle and then what sounds like a bomb exploding.

The force of the blast pushes Kestrel and I forward, causing us to fall to our stomachs like ballplayers sliding into home, arms stretched outward, hands splayed wide as they scrape across the cement of the sidewalk. Slightly dazed we manage to move ourselves into a sitting position though I hear Kestrel howl in pain as we do so. “OUCH! I think I broke my arm.” Looking at her right arm, I see that she most definitely has broken it.

I stand up expecting to feel sore, hurt or pain but somehow, I have managed come out of the ordeal without a scratch on me. Carefully, I help Kestrel to her feet before saying; “we need to get you some medical attention. Where’s the closest doctor in this town?”

She winces, “we really don’t do doctors here. There are witches that live over off Vine and Flowers Road. They’re healers who we all typically go to for medicines and medical concerns though.

Nodding my head, I ask her to lead me in the right direction and then we begin our trek towards the healers. Mentally I reach out to Ash and ask him if he would meet us at a witch’s house, a Rose Lee. He quickly responds; of course! What’s going on? Are you okay? I say I’m fine and tell him how close we are to Rose Lee’s house, and he says he will be there shortly. After Rose and I get Kestrel comfortable, Rose tries to question us on what had happened to have caused Kestrel to break her arm.

Just as I open my mouth, a knock sounds at Rose’s front door. Rose walks over and lets Ash come inside. For a second he stares at me, and Kestrel shocked to see us in such a state. “Stars above Sofia! What in the freaking world happened to you two?”

I give him an exasperated chuckle. “Honestly, we have no idea what happened. We were just leaving ‘The Shop’ when Kestrel thought she heard something. A moment later phoenix told me we needed move from where we stood and as we get to the next block, some type of blast occurred knocking us off our feet. Other than that, though, we have no clue as to why it happened. Ash tells me he is going to make a couple of phone calls as he pulls his cell from his pocket to see if he could get answers for the “why”.

Nodding my head, I turn my attention back to Kestrel just in time to hear Rose speaking to her; “I have set the bone for you. This medicine and potion combo will help you heal quicker than if you had gone to a regular doctor. You will however be quite sore for the next week or so. I will suggest that you take it easy in the meantime though, okay.”

Kestrel has her arm bound to her chest and says she will definitely take it easy as she gives Rose a hug of thanks. I give her a hug and thank her as well and then we bid her farewell. Walking outside, we see Ash standing on the front porch and tells Kestrel he will give her a lift home and tell us of the information he has acquired.

“Okay, from what people have heard around town, but hasn’t been confirmed by the Heads of Order that Ashley was spotted around town this afternoon, and someone overheard her chatting with her friends saying how Sofia was going to pay for what she did to her mother.” My eyes go wide in shock. What in the world is Ash talking about? I’ve never even met Ashley’s mother; why would I want to hurt her. I open my mouth to say as much but Ash continues talking. “I’m not sure why Ashley thinks you hurt her mother nor was I aware that her mother had been hurt. I’m going to try and get some answers in regard to all of that but anyway, she did a magic blast to try and hurt you the way her mother had been hurt.”

“What the hell! Who told her I hurt her mom? What happened to her mother anyway?” I look at Ash in exasperation.

“I’m not sure who would say that to her. I bet Blake told it was probably you!” Ash says as he pulls into Kestrel’s driveway. Putting his Jeep into park, he hops out and assists her out of the backseat and into her house.