Page 138 of Phoenix's Fire

"Split up and hit them hard!" another ordered.

So Zasen cupped his hands and created some natural-sounding trill. It was deep and hollow, like many of the birds, but I didn't know what kind he was mimicking.

"They're splitting to come at us in -"

The click of a magazine slamming into place cut him off. I spun. From down the hill I heard, "Holly, kill!"

And from my left, a man yelled in English, "No!"

The pop of the gun was loud. I dropped, but nothing had hit me. Zasen ran, but a streak of brown was faster. Silently, the dog jumped, sinking her teeth into the Mole's arm and spinning him around. That made it easy for Zasen to wrap his arm around the man's neck and his tail began to slam into the hunter's leg.

I was already pushing myself back up, but they always came in pairs. "Holly, attack!" I ordered desperately, shifting my eyes to find this one's partner.

The dog knew, though. Releasing the man Zasen had, Holly rushed forward, leaving me to trail after her. The bow was left behind, but I grabbed my krael, feeling something sticky on the handle.

A man screamed in pain. There was a heavy thud, and then I saw the dog thrashing against a Mole on the ground.

"Holly, collapse!" I ordered, using her Vestrian commands.

The dog shoved down on the Mole's chest, holding him in place as the guy cried, "Ayla!"

My feet stalled at the sound of my name. This man was huge. Too big. That meant I knew him, so securing my fingers on my blades, I braced my shoulders and walked forward.

"You came to kill us, Tobias?" I snapped. "I am not here to die!"

"Callah sent me!" he panted. "Oww. The beast hurts. Ayla, I have proof. She sent me with proof. I was trying to find you, but Malcus..."

"Is dead," I told him, before looking at the dog. "Holly, drop." That was what I'd told her to let go of the ball, so I hoped it worked. "Collapse." Maybe she'd keep pinning him down.

Obediently, she spit his arm from her mouth, but her lips curled, revealing all of her very white teeth. A deep rumbling made it clear she was more than willing to bite him again.

"What is it?" Tobias asked.

"That," I said as I moved to stand over him, "is a dog. Where's your proof?"

"Inside my shirt," he said, unable to look away from the dog growling in his face. "I don't want it to bite me again."

"Ayla?" Zasen asked.

I lifted a hand, making him wait. Tobias's eyes jumped to him and the air slid from his lungs. With one finger, he pointed at his chest.

"She said you'd know it's from her," he insisted. "Please, Ayla. I want to get her out. Don't let him kill me?"

"Stay!" Lansin yelled at Holly, proving he was now behind me as well.

So I bent and reached inside his leather protective shirt. "Where?"

"Up. There's a pocket..."

My fingers found it. Yanking my hand back, I saw old, yellowed paper. Lines had been stained into it from being folded, and while the color was different in sunlight, I recognized it immediately.

"Why did she give this to you?!" I pointed at the dog. "Answer me, Tobias, or I will let her bite your throat next!"

"Jamison said the Phoenix shot him. Callah made me hold him as she fixed him, and he was fevered. He said the Phoenix and 'she.' He said we threw her out. That meant it was you, Ayla." He swallowed hard. "My mother told me stories too! She said the Dragons would save me. I tried to be stupid, but I had to make sure Callah knew it really is you, and this was the only way to make sure of it. I became a hunter to court her so we can talk, and - "

"Holly, it's okay," I told the dog, but my words came out as a breath.

"Holly, come!" Lansin ordered in Vestrian.

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