Flight of the Phoenix (4 page)

Though she was glad to be flying away from Paris and Draak Priest, she felt the search for the witch doctor seemed futile. Even as powerful as she and her sister were, Africa was enormous. But she possessed something Bryn knew nothing about. The connection to Lazarus was hers and hers alone. The thought of him waiting for her was remarkably comforting. She felt like she'd known him all her life. It must be the blood exchange. He had drained her of blood and she'd consumed some of his vampire blood. She now had powers her sister would never be able to understand.

She bent her head and concentrated. The burgundy-velvet seats were comfortable. All the accommodations in this air ship were luxurious. The cabins, though small, had brass hardware and light fixtures, velvet curtains and plush leather seats. The water closets were state-of-the-art with running hot and cold water, a small bathing tub and two sinks. Gilded wallpaper covered the walls of the cabins and hallways. Everything was first class. Clouds shot by outside the airship visible through large windows edged in more brass.

With her eyes closed, she attempted to summon Lazarus. He needed to know where she was going. His youthful countenance popped into her head as soon as she thought his name. “I am here, my love.”

Warmth filled Fenix. She was no longer alone. Through all her lifetimes, she had felt so isolated. Bryn did not understand her, had no idea what her particular curse was like to endure. Bryn just put her head down and plowed forward, taking care of everyone as best she could, but gave little thought to how Fenix might feel about anything.

“
Lazarus, we are going to Africa to find Kivunjo and your dagger.
”

“I know, my love. I will help you as much as I can. I think you will likely have a follower. Priest knows you and Bryn are on this airship. I have seen him and he seems strangely afflicted. He talks to himself and possibly has headaches. He keeps grabbing his head.”

Fenix smiled. “
Maybe he has finally gone insane.
”

Lazarus shook his head and Fenix marveled at his beauty. His long hair curled away from his smooth brow. His eyebrows were fine and arched over piercing blue eyes. She longed to be in his arms and to kiss his finely molded lips. “I do not think him insane,” Lazarus mused. “I think he is possessed.”

“
By whom
?”

“I know not, but I plan to discover what is wrong with him. If I am gone when you summon me, rest assured I will return shortly.”

“
Don't go
.” Terror filled her at the thought of being without him for as much as a second.

A soothing warmth filled her chest. “I will never be far, my princess. If you call me, I will hear you and come.”

The rapid thud of footsteps pounding down the center aisle of the sitting compartment startled Fenix. “Priest is after us!” Bryn screamed. “Help me.”

Fenix ran to the banks of paned windows. A huge black dragon had appeared behind them. As it rapidly closed the distance between them, Bryn grabbed a speaking tube that connected the passenger cabin to the pilot's cabin and yelled into it. “More speed. That dragon is Draak Priest and he's chasing us.”

Fenix leaned close to hear Sam answer.

“I see him. Strap in. We're going to attempt to escape.”

Bryn, Fingle and Quinn each threw themselves into a seat and tightened the safety restraints over their chests. Fenix couldn't pull herself away from the windows. As she watched, the dragon's huge wings flapped in gigantic swoops sending the creature closer. It opened its massive jaws and breathed a shot of fire at them. Fenix saw the flames approaching and moaned. “Fire. We're doomed.”

“Sit down,” Bryn snapped.

Fenix dropped into her seat as the airship tilted sharply down and sped up. A huge ball of fire swept past the windows. “He's flaming us,” she gasped.

When they shot toward the ground at a crazy speed, Fenix moaned and clutched the armrests. Doors crashed open and luggage flew out of cabins. Dishes smashed in the kitchen and Commodore Brighthouse's seat tipped over and dumped him into the aisle, still tightly bound. “Help me,” he screamed as furniture and personal belongings tumbled toward the nose of the compartment. “The ship's not built to handle this kind of treatment,” he yelled. “It'll break apart.”

The airship was large and though the compartments and gas bag were streamlined, it was bulky, designed for speed not for easy maneuvering. The Titan slowly tilted to the left and began climbing out of the steep dive. Flames shot by the window and Bryn unfastened her belt. “The gas bag is going to explode. Get ready to transform into a phoenix and escape.”

“Crash?” Fenix gasped. “We should fight, Bryn. Open the compartment door and I'll send a ball of fire back at him.”

“It's too dangerous,” Bryn snarled. “The bag above us is filled with highly combustible gas. If it catches fire we are going to explode. If we get caught in the explosion, we shall surely fry.”

“We have to do something,” Fenix's voice shook.

Bryn grabbed her shoulders. “Don't panic on me. We're over the Bay of Biscay. Quinn and the others can swim. We'll help them.”

Fenix snatched herself out of Bryn's grasp. “I'm not panicking. There has to be something I can do.”

Bryn scoffed. “What?”

Fenix shrugged. “I'm thinking.”

“Well why you're thinking, grab whatever you value and get ready to throw it into the sea.”

Bryn gathered them next to the door as the dragon flamed them with another blast of fire and the engine on the left side of the passenger gondola exploded. She yelled one more time into the tube connecting them to Sam and Tomlinson. “Ditch the Titan.”

The huge ship listed terribly to the right. The gas bag suddenly exploded rocking their gondola and sending the Titan spiraling toward the earth while flames roared around them. As they rocketed toward the water at a frightening speed, Fenix clutched a bag filled with a few clothes and her wand close to her chest. She lay on the tilted deck next to her sister and tried to think of something she could do. When the ship hit the water, it dived deep. Bryn and Quinn leaped to their feet and tore the door open as soon as they stopped descending. Quinn ripped it off its hinges in a crazy show of strength.

As soon as the door was off, water gushed into the cabin and Fenix leaped into the flood. The water was icy cold. She gasped as the sea hit her and kicked hard for the surface, still hanging onto her bag. She opened her eyes and saw Sam kick loose of the pilot's compartment and struggle for the surface beside Tomlinson. Cushions and other loose items floated lazily. Fenix popped to the surface in time to see Bryn explode out of the water and drag a sputtering, floundering Commodore Brighthouse above the surface with her.

“Where's Quinn?” Bryn screamed over the raging fire coating the water right next to them.

“He didn't come up,” Fenix yelled. “I'll find him.”

Because of her new powers, Fenix did not require the same amount of air to live as Bryn. When Bryn tried to protest, Fenix ignored her and dived deep. She found she could see in the dark water as well as daylight on dry ground. Items from the airship floated at all depths. Far below, she spotted the passenger gondola dangling from the limp gas bag by one remaining iron girder. She streamlined her body and dived for it.

The door to the passenger compartment hung open and Fenix shot inside. Quinn floated unconscious, his body bumping into the ceiling. In his arms, he still clutched a small velvet bag. Whatever was in it must be worth everything to him. He'd decided to die for it. Fenix put her ear next to his chest and detected the faintest flutter. He still clung to a thread of life.

She grabbed his coat, dragged him out of the gondola and kicked for the surface. When she was almost there, she slowed and held him close enough to shed tears over him. The golden drops floated from her eyes and covered his nose and mouth. When her tears hit his eyes, they flew open. Fenix leaned close to him and breathed precious air into his mouth. His chest convulsed and she shot to the surface with him in her arms.

Bryn swam the few feet separating them and grabbed Quinn. “Where did you find him?”

“He was inside the gondola holding this.” Fenix held up the velvet bag.

Bryn moaned. “He went back for the charm.”

“What charm?” Fenix was truly puzzled. She knew nothing of any charm, but then Bryn so rarely confided in her.

“Katherine made it for me. It allows me one night of love.”

Fenix stifled a laugh. It wasn't funny. Quinn almost died for one night of love with Bryn. As they tread water, Bryn scanned the surface. “The water is cold. We need to get these mortals out of the water immediately.”

Sam swam over dragging a sputtering Fingle who paddled like the hound dog he used to be. “What are we to do now?”

Bryn supported Quinn's head against her chest. His eyes had fluttered open but he closed them almost instantly. He was cold, shaking and his lips were turning blue. “We have to think of something right now or Quinn isn't going to make it.”

“Dragon!” Tomlinson screamed.

Fenix followed his pointing finger and spotted Draak Priest in dragon form diving out of the heavy gray clouds straight at them. She pushed the seat cushion holding her up toward Bryn, turned her thoughts inward and summoned Lazarus. “
We need help, Lazarus, or we die.”

He was instantly there. “I've summoned a friend. When they arrive, do not be afraid.”

“
Who?
”

At that moment a whirlpool appeared on the surface of the water. “Back away!” Bryn shouted as the dragon swooped lower.

Fenix watched with her hand over her mouth as the whirlpool turned into a vast burst of bubbles. An antennae popped out of the water followed by a long tube topped with a glass lens in a round globe that rotated until it pointed directly at them.

The tube then sucked back down and a brass dome appeared. Water flooded from the slick, highly-polished surface of the dome. When the dome slowly inched further out of the water, the top half of a complete ship appeared. It was like no other ship Fenix had ever seen. It had rounded edges with round windows bolted to the body of the ship and was shaped like a long tube. A dorsal fin made of more brass stuck up from the top of the ship. The snout or bow was pointed like a swordfish's. Four windows, two on each side of the front compartment, made of reflecting glass, were set into the sloping bow and bolted tightly to the body with more huge brass bolts. The tail was hinged and constructed like a fish tail to move back and forth and steer the huge vessel which was longer than Brighthouse's Titan.

“What in all that's holy?” Sam gasped.

“It's a submarine!” Tomlinson shouted. “It's a ship that travels beneath the sea.”

As they all paddled for the safety of the vessel, a hatch in the dome opened and the most hideous apparition Fenix had ever seen popped out. It had bandages around its head, one eye was covered by a patch and all of its reddish hair stuck out the top of the bandages like wheat, straight and stiff. The hand holding the hatch was missing two fingers and each of the remaining fingers was bandaged. The figure wore tattered ragged clothing that hung from a bony frame.

“Lord help us,” Tomlinson muttered. “We've been rescued by a submarine filled with zombies.”

Bryn began pushing Quinn toward the ship. “Don't be ridiculous. The man clearly has leprosy. There's nothing to fear.” She glanced skyward. “Duck!”

The fiery blast from the dragon raked the sea and the ship. The sailor ducked back in and slammed the hatch shut, but when the flames died, he popped back out and beckoned for them to hurry with his damaged hand.

“Leprosy!” Tomlinson gasped. “We're all going to die.”

Sam paddled past Tomlinson. “You're going to freeze to death in this water in about ten more minutes or be fried by dragon breath. If I were you, I'd take my chances with a measly disease. For the love of God, Tomlinson, don't you want to see inside the submarine?”

Tomlinson followed her toward the amazing water craft. “By Jove, Samantha, you know I do.”

“Then get over your fear.”

Fenix reached the undersea ship first. It had been summoned by Lazarus. Who knew what besides the leprous sailor inhabited it. Lazarus had said not to be afraid, and she was filled with love and confidence in him. The ship was their salvation. A ladder of brass rungs was attached to the side of the tube-like ship by huge bolts. The ladder was affixed to the ship in front of a flat fin that was also shaped like the fin of a gigantic fish. Fenix pulled herself out of the water and climbed the ladder. The leprous sailor ducked back inside the hatch and was quickly replaced by a priest in a black cassock with a huge cross hanging around his neck. For a moment, Fenix was frightened. Priests in general made her think of Draak Priest. As though by thinking his name she had summoned him, a huge screech echoed through the clouds overhead followed by another massive burst of flames.

Bryn screamed as she pushed Quinn to the ladder with one hand and dragged the limp, bedraggled Commodore behind her with the other. “Get into the ship.”

They scrambled up and through the hatch. The interior of the undersea ship was lit by lights casting a greenish glow. Fenix was the first one inside. There was another ladder on the inside of the domed tower. She climbed down as high above the hatch clanged shut. They were locked inside this floating coffin with the strangest group of beings she'd ever imagined.

The leprous sailor called, “Dive! Dive, Dive.”

The ship lurched as Fenix reached out to grab a convenient railing. Brass rails lined every wall. Under her feet, the ship vibrated. The entire hull hummed as though filled with a thousand bees. They were moving. The deck tilted down, everyone grabbed a rail as the feeling of movement increased.