Phoenix Chosen #3 (The Phoenix Guardians #3)

23. Tyler

23

TYLER

T hick river mud encases my sandaled foot like a sticky boot as we step into the stream. The wind blows, carrying the smell of the nearby swamp. At least this time my shoes stay on my feet.

“Love this,” I say. “Wonderful.”

Jackson marches ahead of us, backpack slung over one shoulder like he’s on his way to work.

“Here,” Airos says. “We can cross here.”

We stop at the side of the stream. The water is shallower here, with smooth river stones and fallen branches peeking out from beneath the flowing water and trails of river algae waving beneath the surface like long green hair. The moment I stop, my leg sinks deep into the mud. Without waiting, Kalistratos starts to remove his chiton to go for a mud bath.

We’re here to cover our scent and mask our trail. I don’t like it, but it has to be done.

“A moment,” Airos says. “Before we get started, a first order of business.” He tugs several pieces of cloth from his sleeve like a street magician pulling out a handkerchief.

“What’s this?” Kalistratos asks.

“It’s no use if we simply mask our scent here. We need to create a diversion. Rub these on your cocks.”

Jackson turns away, laughing. “Daamn, bro. Are you serious? Shouldn’t you at least offer to pay me first?”

Kalistratos raises an eyebrow at the request, but then he lifts the front of his chiton and stuffs the rag into his underwear.

“Just do it,” I tell Jackson. He shakes his head and wanders away from us like a guy who doesn’t want to pee too close to other men, then lifts the front of his cloak.

“I see you sniff this thing and I swear to god,” he mumbles at Airos.

We all get to work, standing around with our hands down our pants like a group of streamside pervs. We’re all so preoccupied with what we’re doing that none of us notice the sound of a presence approaching from the forest behind us.

“Relieve yourselves of your weapons and relinquish the phoenix egg,” a foreign voice growls out from the trees behind us.

We spin around and see a wolf man approaching us from the forest. His body is cloaked in a black robe, and the fur on half of his face looks like it’s been burned. Then I remember him—the Hulaiosi swordsman who had been with the cat archer. Praxis’s other goon.

There’s a brief moment where his eyes flick across all of us. He’s clearly taking in the fact that we all have our hands plunged deep into our skivvies. His lip curls back and then his gaze lands on Jackson. His eyes narrow.

Airos steps forward. “And why would we do that?”

“Oh, look who it is,” Kalistratos says. “We were wondering what happened to your flame-grilled ass. If you’re here to try and get your sword back—I stole it fair and square.”

The swordsman ignores him, his eyes still on Jackson. He sniffs the air. “An omega. Pregnant. Hm.”

The wolf pulls back his cloak, revealing a sword with a black leather-wrapped scabbard and a handle made of obsidian and dark silver. Without a word, he draws it. The blade flashes in the sunlight, but then blackness ripples outward from the handguard, completely covering the metal until it looks like it’s been dipped in tar.

My heart jumps. Something inside me knows this cursed sword can affect phoenix powers, but before I can warn my friends, Kalistratos attacks. I blink, and he’s gone.

A line of footprints suddenly dots across the muddy bank in a straight path to the swordsman—but before Kalistratos can land the killing blow, he reappears two feet away from the wolf, sword held high for an attack. It feels as if some kind of barrier has broken his hold on time.

The wolf swings his sword in a sideways arc. At the last moment, Kalistratos shifts his footwork and brings his blade to intercept the black weapon with a loud ringing clang .

“His sword can interrupt phoenix powers!” I shout.

“More than interrupt!” Kalistratos snarls as he pushes his blade against the wolf’s. “It’s devouring my energy.”

The black blade looks as though it wants to consume Kalistratos’s sword.

“Break away!” I yell.

Clumps of mud and rock pull from the ground and form what looks like the head of a massive hammer. Airos has his hand raised, ready to swing the floating weapon at the wolf, but Jackson leaps at him, tackling him into the mud. A black arrow whines past, streaking through the spot where Airos was, and impacts into a tree. I clutch Eggy and drop to the ground. Where the hell did that come from?

“What in the name of the gods are you doing?” Airos shouts at Jackson.

“Rescuing your ass!”

He grabs hold of Jackson. “Don’t go throwing yourself around. You’re pregnant!” he scolds. “Use your powers. Like this !”

A thick wall of mud rises and forms a protective shield around us.

“Really? A lecture?” Jackson says. He looks at me and juts his jaw at Airos. “What is up with this guy?”

My attention is back on Kalistratos. The archer is out there, and I know their target will be my mate.

“More arrows!” I shout at him.

Kalistratos spins and kicks the swordsman, breaking their blades apart, then turns just as another arrow squeals straight for him. In a flash, he’s frozen time again and snatches the arrow in mid-air. He gasps in pain and quickly throws it aside like it's red hot. It hits the ground and its shaft shimmers with the same tar-like appearance as the wolf’s sword. Cursed. Another arrow whizzes by, and he dodges just in time by dropping to one knee. The swordsman is back on him with a downswing. Kalistratos parries it aside and rolls away.

“We have to get this sniper,” Jackson says. “I think?—”

He’s interrupted by an arrow jamming into the mud wall, its obsidian tip protruding just over our heads. The mud wall crumbles as the arrow's dark properties disrupt its power.

Airos’s staff materializes into his hand with a flash of green light. He steps in front of us, muttering something under his breath, and then swings the staff like a baseball bat just as another arrow screams out of the forest. He makes contact, a home run hit, and the arrow explodes like a firework in a shower of green sparks.

“As I thought,” he says. “Whatever hex is upon these weapons only interferes with phoenix powers.”

“Fantastic,” Kalistratos grunts behind us as the blades ring together again.

“Move to cover,” Jackson shouts. “That log right there!”

He and I hurry across the muddy stream bed and crouch behind a fallen log. Airos stays put in his position between the archer and Kalistratos. An arrow flies from the trees, targeted for Kalistratos’s back. Airos intercepts it.

“God, I wish I had a rifle,” says Jackson. “I think we can flank this guy.”

“I’ll do it,” I say, pulling the sling from my belt. “You’re pregnant.”

“I really wish you guys would stop telling me that. And do you have combat training?”

“…No.”

“Then stay in your lane,” he says. “I don’t need babysitting.”

Then, staying in a low crouch, Jackson turns and scurries away from the log and into the trees.

“Hey!” I hiss. “Wait, don’t… Ah, fuck .”

I hurry after him.