95: At any cost

“Alright Phoenix, take off your jacket.” Sebastian said. Only him and Demetri now remained conscious and sober enough for us to engage in an actual conversation. Liam and Xavier had gotten lost in a blood and booze frenzy a while back and were now passed out drunk in the corner of the crowded bar we now sat in, only adding to the unconscious body count which already existed in this warm and dark place.
I gazed up at Sebastian, surprised at his request, and then realised that he knew exactly what he was asking of me and why. “You saw it, didn’t you?”
“We both did.” Demetri said. “When we retrieved your unconscious body from the council it was the first thing we noticed. How do you think you got all of those stitches?”
I sighed and gently shrugged off my jacket revealing my exposed shoulders. Demetri gently reached out and pushed my hair to the side revealing more of my wounded flesh. “How the hell did this happen? I thought you were indestructible.”
“I am… except against those who have also been resurrected with soul magic,” and so I began to explain to them what the celestial had told me in my heated battle with her.
“So, what you’re saying is that when you die your soul will too and you won’t be able to join the afterlife?”
I nodded. “But it doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes a lot. At least before there was always a possibility of trying to bring you back if you died. A soul is a powerful thing Phoenix, when it comes to bringing back the dead. But if you die and your soul no longer exists… how can we? It makes this all so final.”
And that was when I realised that this was how we got into this mess in the first place. “I died centuries ago, Sebastian. It was all supposed to be final back then already. But if I have to die in this lifetime, I don’t want it to be in vain… especially considering everything, and everyone that needs to be sacrificed.” I then looked up to him with a pleading look on my face and asked, “Is there no other way for me to get to that throne?”
Sebastian shook his head, destroying any hope I had of us coming up with an alternative. “I’m afraid not. This is the only way. If you kill Meera unprovoked, not only do you risk losing your life but this entire system that she has built will fall into anarchy. This time, we *must* play by her rules for as long as she plays by them as well. Besides, after hearing what you have just said, I don’t think Meera intended for you to be alive right now anyway.”
What he said was true. Meera thought that I would have died in the celestial round. But she had clearly underestimated me and now still sat with the problem she had tried to rid herself of all those centuries ago- me. I was sure now that she’d make things even more personal than they had been before.
“So, we’re a step ahead then.” Demetri said with a smile.
“No,” I muttered, “for as long as there are people I love still playing this game with me, we will never be a step ahead.”
Suddenly Sebastian gripped at my hand and then used his free hand to gently tug at my chin so that I was looking up at him. “I know it’s not ideal, but when and if the time comes, you *must* kill them. And believe me, knowing my mother, it will be ‘when’ and not ‘if’. Already the unrest between werewolves and vampires has intensified all thanks to this. Can you imagine how chaotic the world will be if you die. You’re the last thing left uniting the werewolf and vampire worlds. If you’re gone, nothing stops us from heading off into an all-out war and this time I fear both sides will end up wiping each other out until there is nothing and no one left.”
I let his words sink in. Once again, he was right. There was nothing that could change the fact that I needed to make it out alive and that to do so, I would need to kill the people I loved. And so instead I turned to the both of them and said, “No matter what, we must find a way to bring Liam back. I don’t care how long it takes and I don’t care what we need to sacrifice in order to bring him back. My death should have been final those centuries ago. I deserved it for being so naïve and for being so weak. But unlike me, Liam doesn’t deserve death. So, promise me that you’ll help me bring him back, no matter the cost.”
It was silent between the three of us for a moment. Demetri and Sebastian then shared a quick and uncertain glance before both sighing.
“We promise.” they said simultaneously.
“Now, back to David-”
“What if whatever happened in the final round unfolded just as Felicity said? What if he was helping you because you injured your shoulder?” Said Sebastian.
“Yeah, he was pretty helpful in the rounds before.”
I shook my head, no. “I would still have managed to kill her. Besides, I’m almost sure that he was the person the celestial was pointing at as well and if that’s the case, he did what he had so I wouldn’t see that it was him she was pointing at.”
“So, you think he’s hiding something?” Demetri asked.
I nodded my head. “Definitely. But let’s keep this between us. As far as he knows, I still don’t know it was him that she pointed at. I’d like to keep it that way. It keeps us a step ahead of him, and if I’m wrong, then there’s no harm done. In the meantime, Sebastian, what do you know of David?”
Sebastian bit at his lip before finally taking a sip at the drink he had ordered earlier. The precipitation on the sides of the glass had fallen to the wooden surface it was on and when he picked the glass up, it left behind a pale ring. He then set it down on the counter after another sip and wiped his lips with the back of his hand before speaking. “Not much actually. The Trest family usually keep to themselves. Come to think of it, I don’t really even remember the birth of David. All I do remember is how surprised we were when they showed up the one day with him.”
“How long ago was that?” I asked.
“A few centuries ago. Around about the time Meera became the leader of the council.”
I sighed heavily and shook my head. “Anything else you remember about him?”
Sebastian shook his head, “I’m sorry, no. Perhaps you could ask Felicity when you see her again. She’s sure to know more about him than I do.”
And that was exactly what I planned to do the next time I saw her.
“You sure I can’t get you anything?” The bartender asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. It was the third time he’d asked me for the day.
“Come on Phoenix, just drink something!” Demetri said from beside me before taking a swig of his fifth jug of beer.
“For once in my life, I agree with Demetri. You could have died back there… I think you need to celebrate that you’re alive and breathing. Let loose for once.” It was funny coming from Sebastian., so much so that I fell into a fit of laughter once it had left his mouth.
I wasn’t really fond of alcohol, especially alcohol made well enough to get vampires drunk. The problem was that I couldn’t hold my liquor. I became a very loud, rowdy and disruptive version of myself whenever I drank and although I hadn’t dealt with anything as intoxicating as booze in this body and this lifetime, I was still convinced that liquor would have the same effect on me now as it did then. Nonetheless, and perhaps against my better judgement, I agreed, unable to deny Demetri’s request when he was sporting that adorable pleading look on his innocent face- a lie in itself, the man knew exactly what he was doing then already.
“Fine, just one drink.”
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Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!