Sofia: Phoenix Rising - Fire Within! Book 1
Chapter Thirty-two

We agree to take Ash’s Jeep Renegade to school that way I wouldn’t have to worry about my car. The ride there was quiet. I’m not sure what thoughts were running through his head but if they were anything like the ones whirling in my mind, well, I know why he is quiet then! Ash pulls into a parking space and before I have a chance to open my door, he is there opening it for me.

“You were definitely born in the wrong era, weren’t you Mr. Dritan?” I can’t help but say this to him because not only has he opened my passenger door and helped me out of the vehicle, but he has also taken my bookbag and carrying it and his on one shoulder, takes my hand in his other hand and we walk into the school together. Such a gentleman.

I take my bookbag from him once we are standing next to our lockers so that I can switch out items I will need for the school day. His head is inside his locker when Lori comes skipping up to us. “Hey, how are you doing kiddo? Did you sleep all right?” She nudges that sharp ass elbow of hers into my side as she asks her second question. I roll my eyes at her but mouth the words SHUT UP! Quite clearly to her which only causes her to laugh out loudly at me. My cheeks flare bright red, and I give her the most menacing glare I can muster.

“Dude, chill the intense gaze, your eyes are starting to glow,” she whispers against my ear. “I was just joking, unless... Oh, my, God! You didn’t, did you?” She stares at me, shock written all over her face. This in turn causes me to laugh.

“NO!” I exclaim a little too loudly.

“Shush,” Lori hisses at the same time I hear an ‘ouch!’ come from Ash’s locker. Lori and I both throw our hands up to our mouths to suppress the giggles that want to escape because of Ash hitting his head.

“Aye, what are you two Shelia’s going on about?” Rubbing the back of his head, Ash eyes us suspiciously. Shifting my eyes, I look at the tile of the hallway floor so he can’t see my face and my bright pink cheeks. Lori on the other hand, looks Ash straight in the eyes and laughs.

“Aww, nothing you need concern yourself with mate.” I know she is teasing him but punch her in the arm anyway. Not hard, just enough to make her stop and look at me; “what?” She is grinning so I know I didn’t hurt her, so I roll my eyes at her instead.

“Ugh, nothing. Let’s get to class before we are late.”

Even though my parents were a constant thought in my head throughout the school day, the day itself was pretty uneventful or so I thought. Heading to my locker after the final bell of the day rings, I open the metal door, the hinges squeak a little as though it is starting to rust. Honestly, I was just going to throw my books in and go wait for Ash out in the parking-lot. That thought was short lived as I am putting my book on the top shelf, a piece of paper falls out onto the floor in front of my feet.

Thinking to myself, how odd, do people even use notebook paper anymore? I bend over and scoop the folded over note up and am just about to open it when Ash walks up next to me. “Hey, what’s that?” He looks at me quizzically and I crumble it up into a ball.

“Oh, just a bit of trash that fell out of my locker.” I stuff it quickly into my bookbag. “I’ll throw it away when I get home.” Smiling up at him, he shrugs his shoulders and then sticks his hand out. It takes me a moment to realize he is offering to carry my bag to the car for me. Taking it out of my hand, he once again tosses it over his shoulder, though this time he doesn’t have his bookbag with him. He must not need to bring anything home with him. Having relinquished my items to him, my hands are free to take hold of his and we head out to his car.

Ash bypasses my driveway and pulls into his. “I want to grab some clothes and take a shower. You don’t mind waiting for me, do you?” I shake my head no but wonder why he didn’t want to shower at my house. May be because he didn’t have any clean clothes with him and since he was here to get some, he thought he’d just take a quick shower too, who knows.

“No, I don’t mind. I’ll just hang out in the living room while you do your thing. And just throwing this out there for future reference, you are more than welcome to shower at my house; just so you know.” Ash nods his head in understanding and then as he heads towards his bedroom, I go and take a seat on the couch in his living room.

Just as I hear Ash turn on the shower in his bathroom, I remember the crumbled piece of paper stashed in my bookbag. I go out to his car and picking up the bag, bring it inside and sit it next to me on the couch. Trying to smooth the paper out, I place it on the couch cushion and run my hands across it a couple of times. Still wrinkled but legible, I read the handwritten note. Once simple sentence and a name scrawled underneath but it makes my heart pound and my blood run cold.

I know where your parents are, meet me by the old oak tree.

Blake

The hand holding the letter begins to shake. My vision goes red and I

don’t hesitate. Running, I leave Ash’s house and go over to mine. Punching the garage door button, I impatiently wait for it to rise. When it is high enough for me to walk under, I hurry to my car. Flinging the door open, I hop inside and start the engine. The garage door has barely come to a stop as I’m speeding backwards out of my spot, down the drive and onto the main road that will take me to the park and the oak tree.

Earlier the weather had been fairly warm for the first week of February, so it hadn’t dawned on me to grab my jacket before I went rushing out of the house. Now though, the sun has been consumed by the clouds and the air is becoming too brisk for my liking. The wind is biting at any exposed flesh and my fingertips feel numb. Sprinting down the trail helps warm me a little and the anger coursing through my body, but I know I can’t hold onto my anger because I don’t want to shift when I confront Blake. I must be calm...

“BLAKE TAMA! SHOW YOURSELF, NOW!” My feet are spaced apart and my hands are placed firmly on my hips. As I shout out, the wind picks up as though trying to help carry my words to whomever needs to hear them. My hair is being tossed about and I am really wishing I had a hair-tie so I could pull my hair up and back from my face.

Even with the wind bouncing around my head I can still hear the atrocious screeching as it assaults my ears. For some reason that sound is my breaking point! I am so pissed off, upset, and whatever other words fit those type of emotions. Heat surges up from within me and before I can blink, I am alight with flames.

I spot Blake about a hundred feet in front of me. The raging storm of fire flares up as I glare at him and begin to slowly march his way. “Sofia, please! They don’t know I’m here. If they were to replace out, they would kill me. Please extinguish your firelight, I’m begging you!” His voice cracks and I can hear the fear in his plea. I want to think he is telling the truth, but I am not sure I can calm myself enough to hear him out.

If a voice could flicker and twitch like real flames, that is what my voice sounds like as I go to speak to Blake; “what do you mean? Who are ‘THEY’? And where have they taken my parents?” Smoke pours from my mouth as I ask, and I watch as the dark cloud floats into the sky.

“I’m so sorry Sofia. I didn’t know when they told me to get close to you why they wanted me to it. I swear, I just learned about the Shifter-scrolls and what could happen between Ash and myself. And... I was just told about you being the Phoenix! My clan is not in the nature of being good or kind and if they want you, it is for something very bad. But I do know where your parents are. If you come with me, I can help you to get them free.”

Blake stretches his arm out towards me, and I tilt my head to one side as I stare at his open hand, debating whether or not I should take hold of it. Wincing, I hear someone shout; “SOFIA!” A moment later I realize no one was verbally shouting out my name. Ash is screaming inside my mind and oh my god is it loud! I can hear anguish in how he pronounces my name. He is scared, worried and terrified I will do something, and he won’t get to me in time to stop me or help me, I’m not sure which.

Unconsciously I have raised my hand and reaching to take Blake’s when suddenly I can hear thuds against the dirt path, and something is snarling as it comes pounding towards us. A moment later a black panther is standing by my side, teeth bared and hissing at Blake. I look at Ash, his crystal blue eyes piercing my very soul. What are you doing here with HIM? Why would you come here alone Sofia?Of course, Blake can’t hear Ash’s words because he is using telepathy and only when I use my voice as my flames have dissipated and I can speak normally again does Blake realize that Ash and I are able to communicate without speaking aloud.

Frustrated, I sigh heavily. “Blake says he knows who took my parents and where they are being held. He also says he can help me free him if I go with him.”

With a shimmer, Ash has shifted back into his human form. “And you were just going to go off with him without telling anyone what was going on. Sofia! You of all people should be questioning his motives. Why now? Don’t you replace it odd?” Before I can answer in defense, Blake shocks us both by shifting into his eagle form, flapping his wings and shrieking loudly. A moment later he has flown off leaving me and Ash staring after him baffled.