“Where the heck are they?” Phoenix paced the room again, stopping first by the locked door to listen then by the dark window to stare out.
Jade and Truda had been gone for hours. He, Marcus and Brynn had been politely locked into their suite of rooms, fed and ignored. It was frustrating, to say the least.
Irritated, he spun to confront the ever-patient Marcus. The Roman lay comfortably on an ornate couch, his feet propped up on the arm, head resting on an embroidered cushion. Brynn had exhausted all the possibilities for escape and theft early on. The Elves, possibly aware of their youthful guests’ abilities, had made their locks unpickable and stripped the rooms of anything small and valuable. After complaining bitterly about their lack of consideration for an underpaid thief, he was now similarly sprawled on another couch nearby, twiddling tunes on his new bronze whistle.
“How can you be so calm?” Phoenix demanded.
Marcus shrugged. “There’s nothing else to do.” He sent Phoenix an ironic look. “Pacing and ranting haven’t helped, have they?”
Phoenix blinked at him in surprise. Marcus seemed to be loosening up a little. It was as if their ordeal together with the trolls had triggered a new level of trust between them. He still wasn’t exactly talkative but flashes of humour and emotion showed through his guarded exterior now. Before Phoenix could utter a witty retort, which he admittedly hadn’t yet thought of, the door creaked open and Jade walked in with Truda close behind.
Marcus uncoiled from the couch frowning at them.
“There you are!” Phoenix strode over to the pair. “What’s going on? Did you find out anything? Can we get to Asgard from here? Will the king help us?” He stopped when he saw the distress on Jade’s face. What had happened?
Truda skipped over to Brynn and began telling him all about the wonders she’d seen in the king’s hall. Phoenix and Marcus ignored her but Brynn was eager to hear everything, so the child was content to chatter to him.
Jade sank onto the couch Marcus had just left. “A lot. Yes. Yes and yes,” she sighed.
“Huh?” It took Phoenix a moment to realise she was answering his questions in the order he’d asked them. “The king will help us get to Asgard? Awesome!”
“Yeah,” Jade sighed, “awesome.”
Marcus moved to crouch before her, his frown deepening. “What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?”
Jade dropped her head forward, so her face was hidden by a fall of white-blonde hair. She shook her head. A tear fell onto her tightly-clasped hands. Marcus covered them with his own as Phoenix stood by, feeling stupid and awkward. Why was she crying? Surely she should be happy that they were getting closer to the end of Level Two? She was the one who was so keen to get home. Girls!
Turning away, he wandered toward Brynn and Truda. The child goddess still chattered on about all the Faery folk she seen; what they’d said and done. Marcus sat next to Jade, his arm around her shoulder. Phoenix tried to suppress a spurt of annoyance. Couldn’t the Roman see she was just being girly? All emotional and over-reactive – just trying to get attention. Overhearing Jade’s name in Truda’s talk, he listened more closely, while still keeping half-an eye on the others.
One sentence caught his attention and he whipped about to face Truda and Brynn.
“Jade is the king’s daughter!? She’s a real princess?” He almost choked on the word.
Truda stared at him with those innocent, wide blue eyes and nodded.
“Oh man!” Phoenix threw up his hands in exasperation. Fear and anger sleeted through him. This would be just what she wanted. She’d jump at the chance to stay here in safety. Anyone with half a brain would chose security over the life of fear and death they were currently living. She’d stay and he’d be on his own - again. Stalking over to the couch, he stood before Jade with his hands on his hips.
“So you really are a princess, huh?” He shook his head. “I bet you’re pretty happy about that. Well,” he pointed one finger accusingly at her, “let me tell you something, Jade. I-”
“No!” Jade jumped up, her face blotchy with tears. She poked him in the chest with one long finger. “Let me tell you something. You have no idea what I just gave up so you can play this stupid game.” Tears flowed down her cheeks. She dashed them away. “All you care about is swinging that sword around and being all macho. Well, now you can keep doing it, so I hope you’re happy!”
Snatching up her skirt-train, she spun away and ran to her bedroom door. It slammed behind her.