Page 159 of Rising Out of the Darkness
“I’m a part of the Light Phoenix bloodline?”
Bri fidgeted with her hands, and my father fiddled with a piece of grass beneath his fingertips, as the sound of the babbling creek next to us filled the silence.
“And you’ve known this my entire life, and didn’t think it was pertinent for me to know?”
The cool stone of my feather necklace rubbed against my fingers, and I paused, realizing this was more of a symbol than I had originally thought. It was a damn declaration of my bloodline.
“So Mother was a part of this bloodline as well?” I asked another question before my father had time to answer the first two.
“Yes.” My father smoothed a palm over his chin, then looked around him as if to make sure no one was close enough to hear what he was about to say. “I was sent to watch over your mother. I’m a part of a secret order of protectors of the Light Phoenix bloodline.”
My mouth gaped wide as my father continued.
“The first Light Phoenix left behind a daughter. Her existence was kept secret for fear she might one day succumb tothe same fate as her mother. Her survival became a top priority, and thus the Guardians of the Light were born.” He exhaled, his shoulders relaxing, like he was relieved to finally release the tension of keeping this secret for so long.
“Go on,” I mumbled, anxious to know more.
“We were trained as protectors, our identities kept secret as well as our mission. Over the centuries, Guardians were sent to look after the descendants of the bloodline, all awaiting the awakening of another Light Phoenix. They would watch and protect them through their Ascension, and if the descendant did not possess the Phoenix dynamis, then they would train another guardian to one day watch over their heirs. Over the years, one thing was consistent with all the female descendants—they were all given the dynamis of an Empath.”
He paused, waiting for me to absorb his words.
“So, my mother…she was really an Empath?” I breathed.
“Yes, she was,” Bri said softly next to me.
My mind whirled. “How is that possible? I watched her heal so many people.”
“When Queen Lenora discovered the truth of our dynamis, she began testing her theories on me and her sons. I was close with Lenora, because my father was the High Priest, and the King’s advisor.” She paused, as my lips parted wide. “Your mother had opened up to me about her bloodline in secret, and I began to teach her as well.” Her lips tilted upwards from the memory. “Healing came naturally to her.”
“Does Declan know?”
She shook her head. “I plan to explain it to him when we get to Oria. The only person who knew of your mother’s secret was the queen. That’s why she entrusted me with the potions—she hoped that her vision would come true.”
“Her vision?” I breathed.
“Two days before her death…” Her eyes began to gloss over, and my father placed his palm over hers. “When I had learned of my parents and my Sían’s death, Lenora told me she had been collecting samples from the gods’ tree when she began to hear voices.”
Air fled my lungs.
“She said a voice spoke to her and told her a light was coming.”
“That same day, your mother told me she was pregnant,” my father whispered.
“She thought I would be the Light Phoenix.”
Both of their eyes met mine as they answered in unison.
“Yes.”
A shudder ran through me as my head fell into my palms with a groan. “She hoped the potion would unlock my dynamis enough to let the Light Phoenix dynamis break free,” I mumbled through my hands.
“Yes, and I gave the second vial to Will so that you wouldn’t have to be alone in your unsuppressed dynamis.” Brietta scowled. “A decision I now regret.”
Anger boiled to the surface. I had tried to stay calm this entire time, but the hurt of being sheltered from the truth all these years infuriated me. “It still doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me. Or why you felt you couldn’t trust me with any of this.”
“I trusted you, Elena, I just?—”
“Then why, Father? Why did you hide this from me my entire life?” I seethed.
