Page 26 of The Searching Songbird

“Bloody hell!” She covered her face with one arm as she pulled her dagger out of the deck boards. Jumping to her feet, she swung the blade wildly at the bird. “Where the hell did you come from?! Freaking devil bird, I'm gonna rip those feathers right outta ya, just you wait! Damn it!”

Draven scrambled to his feet, keeping one eye on Bets, the other on the bird – which he now realized was a phoenix.

Wait – a phoenix?

He chanced a glance behind him, where Lily stood back beside the wall of the main cabin, her big eyes wide as she watched Bets and the phoenix going at it.

Was the boss right about her? Did that thing actually come out of her?

A high-pitched screech brought his attention back around to the action, and he was just in time to see Bets' dagger take a chunk out of the bird's under belly. She cackled with glee as blood dripped down onto the deck.

“That's right, devil bird! How d'ya like the taste of my steel?”

Her head was tilted upward as she watched the phoenix circle above her. Charging forward, Draven took advantage of her distracted state, barreling into her with his shoulder and pushing her back. As soon as her back connected with the wooden rail, he reached down and swept her legs out from under her, tossing her overboard. Her head cracked against something he couldn't see, and she fell, stunned, into the sea.

He spun around, searching for the phoenix, but it was gone. All that remained was one visibly shaken young women who looked like she was either going to pass out or vomit. Or maybe both.

He blinked. What the hell just happened? Did a phoenix seriously just appear out of nowhere, attack Bets, and then disappear into the night? And was it possible it was all because of the woman trembling before him now? Was that why the boss wanted her so badly?

Just who was she, anyway?

Chapter Fourteen

Suzu!

Oh, Suzu, you're hurt.

Lily felt the air rush out of her lungs as the great phoenix dove inside her, leaving a trail of blood splatters in its wake.

“It's okay, Shendri,” the phoenix replied in a thin voice. “I'll be alright.”

Lily trembled as a strange pulling sensation tugged at her abdomen.

What... what's happening? I feel... strange... as if I'm about to be turned inside out or something.

“I'm healing myself. Take a deep breath, and try to relax. It'll be over soon.”

You can do that?

“I'm a phoenix. Of course, I can heal myself. But I won't do a very good job of it if you pass out on me. So, breathe, already.”

Breathe, right. I can do that.

She started to do just that, but her inhale turned into a gasp as she saw Draven knock the pirate backwards into the sea. She stared at his back, wide-eyed, until he turned around and met her gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her, and she felt her trembling increase under the scrutiny.

Do you think he killed her just now?

“Maybe,” Suzu replied, “but it's unlikely. The crazy ones never die.”

You think she was crazy?

“Perhaps not crazy crazy, but she was definitely a little unhinged. Probably from using too many enchantments. Those things will eat away at your sanity, bit by bit, like sipping on mercury.”

What about us? You're a magical beast who lives inside me, but as far as I know, neither one of us is crazy.

“The Shendri were created from the pure magic of the sun goddess. Mortal enchantments are nothing more than chemicals mixed with ancient scripts. Those kind of cheap imitations cannot be compared to what we have.”

“Are you alright?”