Alison sighed to herself self watching Terry leave the library, "At least he's kind for the upcoming lord of darkness." She sighed taking the spellbook of fire with her that she wasn't able to read. "I don't get why you hold me back… Apollo."
A voice spoke in her head, "Who knows. What I do know is that you've changed since you first found me Phoenix."
Alison sighed opening the book looking at the blurred words, "I don't know how I changed." The voice in Alison's head was quiet for a moment causing her to sigh, "All I do know is that when I first found you… you almost seemed transfixed with me." Alison bit her lip, "every single thing you said to me made me feel better about myself. Made me feel loved. Now you hardly ever talk to me."
"I wonder why that is?" Apollo responded, "Do you remember when we first met really?"
"Yeah, I was with my brother. We were exploring a ruin we ended up coming up to a forked path. I went one direction he went another. Going down that path eventually led me to you."
"That's part of it." Apollo acknowledged, "but do you remember what you were doing? It's important."
Alison shook her head, "I was walking in the darkness of the ruins." Alison laughed lightly, "I remember after getting far enough from my brother I began to sing."
"Yes! You were singing. The reason that when we first met I called you Phoenix."
Alison sighed closing the spellbook that she couldn't read, "Phoenix's can sing? I didn't know that."
"Mine could. I remember before I was captured I would stop my chariot every single day just to listen to the phoenix's song. It was transfixing."
Alison smiled wide, "You sound happy talking about that time. I haven't heard you sound happy in a long time. Does music uplift you that much?" Alison questioned.
"Music feeds me, it makes me thrive!"
Alison looked back over her shoulder and smiled shortly. She opened her mouth and began to sing. A beautiful melody filled the library. She began to feel an overwhelming warmth flow through her body as her song turned into a duet. Apollo singing along matching every note making a perfect harmony. Alison continued to sing for a while until she let her voice slowly fade, "T...that was amazing." Alison said under her breath.
"Of course it did. Finally, you sang again… why did it take you this long to sing for me again?"
"I didn't know you wanted me to. I… ever since I was little I sang when I was alone and since I got you I've never been alone." Alison said looking up a soft light filled the library that seemed to come from the aftermath of their singing.
"Nonsense!" Apollo roared, "A voice like yours is a voice that should be shared with the world!"
"I.. guess I'm just shy when it comes to my singing." Alison's face grew a little red as she opened the spellbook again she was now able to read it. "You finally letting me?"
"Of course. I got the show I want… but we do need to sing together more often. I'm your partner in more ways than one my Phoenix. There will be more times when I wish to hear your beautiful voice."
"All you have to do is ask." Alison smiled widely.
"I don't think you understand," Apollo said coldly in Alison's mind as her world shifted around her. She was no longer sitting at a desk but floating in space surrounded by stars and planets with a bright sun in the distance. Apollo was nowhere in sight.
"Apollo?" Alison called out seeing this scene once before when she first accepted the sun god into her. A feeling of warmth slowly embraced her as she felt strong arms wrap around her stomach. She could feel the soft body of Apollo press against her back as his chin softly pressed down against her left shoulder.
"So that's where you were." Alison giggled while leaning back against Apollo's body. Pure white feathers fell around her. "It's been so long since you let me see you… and I always said you looked like…"
"An angel?" Apollo finished her thought for her, "I got that a lot… trust me." The god said softly in Alison's ear. "I want you to see how I see you. How I care about you."
Alison sighed leaning back even more into Apollo's soft grasp, "It feels like the grasp of a lover… is that what you are trying to say? That you love me?"
Feathers continued to fall all around them, "Maybe. I do get jealous though. I watch you try to get with other men you try to court them. It angers me and feels like a betrayal."
Alison had a tear come to her eye, "I never knew you felt that way. I'm sorry. From now on I'm yours I promise."
"You mean that?" Apollo asked softly as his massive wings folded over Alison leaving her in a soft darkness.
"Of course." Alison smiled opening her eyes she was back in the real world looking at the now readable spellbook. "Yes. I'm yours now I promise." Alison said quietly closing the book no longer having the urge to read it. Alison turned her head hearing a loud thud as someone entered the library. "Why could that be?" Alison muttered to herself as she waited for whoever entered to reveal themselves.
"You're serious? My partner is different from other ones you've seen?" A voice said.
"I am serious. I'm not great at telling jokes. Keep up." Alison recognized this voice as Caim's voice. Caim entered her vision from behind a shelf he was being followed by what seemed to be a teenage boy.
"Hello, Caim. Is that the new Tomefinder?" Alison questioned.
"Oh yes, Phoenix. This is Roger. Roger this is Phoenix."
Roger looked at Phoenix shortly, "So you fought Terry too?" He asked.
"I did. I also recognize you. Weren't you the boy who pretended to find the Tome the first time?" She questioned.
Roger bit his lip remembering how rough Dragoncaller was with him, "I… I didn't know how Tome's work and now I do. I ended up finding one close to the one Terry found his."
Phoenix nodded her head, "Of course. It makes sense as Tome's are usually found pretty close to each other." She turned her attention back to Caim, "Is there anything you need of me, sir?"
He put his hand up to his chin, "In thought. Get with Beca she should be able to figure out a task for a Tomefinder."
"Understood," Alison said taking the book with her. "See you. Caim."
"Goodbye, Phoenix. Now…" Caim turned his attention back to Roger, "There is something I would like to show you." He said with a smile putting his hand on Roger's back guiding him through long winding paths of the library the further they went the darker it became.
Roger looked around as the books seemingly grew older and dustier as if they didn't see human hands for an incredibly long time, "Where are we going? We've been walking in this library for a long time now."
"Oh… it's right up…. Here…." Caim led Roger to a door that was covered in thick rust and grime. He stopped at the door looking down at Roger with a smile.
Roger slowly looked up and gulped hard seeing Caim's smile, "I'm not going in there." He said shortly.
"Kid… you don't have a choice," Caim said as his eyes began to glow a bright yellow and lightning began to surge through his hand and into Roger's body. Roger screamed from the shock but became limp after a few moments of being touched. "I am not going to have a daughter of darkness in the circle." He said quietly.
With a loud clanging sound, Caim opened the door revealing darkness as far as the eye can see. With a shrug, he tossed Roger's body into the darkness closing the door behind him. "Lost in the labyrinth. A perfect place to leave a darkling." He clapped his hands together a couple of times brown rust fell to the ground with each clap. "Disgusting."
Roger slowly opened his eyes his entire body felt stiff. He couldn't tell the difference between having his eyes open and his eyes closed in the absolute darkness. He turned around to feel the door he came in but there was no handle or crease to feel for. Just cold metal. "Help! Anybody?" Roger called out.
"You've gotten yourself in a pickle haven't you?" Eris said happily in his mind, "Don't worry my host. I'm going to get you to rely on what matters. Myself. The only one you should have relied on and trusted in the first place."
"I know but… he was the leader of the circle and I thought he was helping me," Roger said sliding his back against the wall sitting down in the dark labyrinth.
"That was your first mistake you got caught up in the motions forgetting that in the end… everyone's out to get you. Don't worry your goddess Eris will take care of everything for you."