Differences

"Who is Gavida?" Onyx asked when they were across the bridge.

Phoenix paused, thinking for a moment of the beautiful dragon. She said, "A friend."

"A friend?" he repeated. She nodded. "Like how Elliot is a friend?"

"No. A better friend. Someone I can trust without a doubt in my mind." Phoenix looked at the dark man who had his hands in his pockets and was staring at her with curiosity. "Don't try to begin to understand, Onyx. I am a complicated person and figuring out how I can trust one being over another is just going to give you a headache."

"Why did the centaur call you sis—"

"Because of my name," she interrupted.

"Phoenix?" She nodded. "But that's not your real name," he said in confusion.

"Phoenix, as you may have already known, is a bird. A fire bird, if you will. Their intelligent, beautiful, and very bright. Whether people may agree or not, I am exactly that. I am all those things and more, and sometimes I am none of those."

"So, your name is something akin to the fire bird?"

She shrugged. "If that's what you call it, yes." Turning, she began walking again.

"Have you ever been to the island's horse farm?" he asked after a few minutes.

"No. Have you?"

He smirked at the back of her head. "I have."

Phoenix looked out the corner of her eye at him and scoffed, "Bragging much?"

"No, you asked a question and I answered it."

"Have you ever had any siblings?" she asked, changing the subject to the first thing that came to mind.

"No. Only child," he replied sharply.

Phoenix caught on and paused at a water fountain at the edge of town. "I had two, both younger than me."

"Brother or sister?" he asked softly.

"Both." Her voice dropped down to a sad whisper, remembering their last day together. "Aurora and Lucent were my responsibility when my parents couldn't be there."

"What happened?"

Phoenix shook her head. "Some men came, killed everyone and then took what belonged to me and my family."

Onyx tensed, remembering the picture the boss had showed him. Could it be true that he had a hand in that? The man could understand the Ironshades wanting to kill someone for revenge, but an innocent family? Was it possible that he had a hand in It too? "Why weren't you killed with them?"

Her heart lurched. "I don't know. I don't remember why a man saved my life or how I got away, only that I did." She looks up at Onyx and narrows her eyes at him. "You remind me of him."

"Who?"

Phoenix shook her head again. "Never mind."

Onyx grabbed her arm. "Tell me."

She glared and he immediately released her. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Please," he said softly. "Tell me what all happened that night. I want to know."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Onyx nodded, disappointed and even more curious. "How did you meet Elliot?"

"Something I don't like to talk about."

"Why not?"

She looked up at him with sad blue eyes. "Because, no matter what, it was wrong. I shouldn't have done what I'd done and be calling him a friend, or vice versa."

Onyx, who was taken aback, narrowed his eyes. Something in her eyes told him this was part of the reason she didn't befriend the boy, because she regretted whatever it was she'd done. He said, if only to take away some of the pain, "He doesn't seem to be hurt by what you did. If anything, he seems to admire you, no matter how stubborn you are."

"He's always done that, even when we met."

"I'm not an expert, Phoenix, but I think the kid likes you more than just friends or acquaintances."

Phoenix pondered that idea, not just because it was wrong, but because it was ridiculous. And she had no feelings towards Elliot as anything more than companionship in a struggle they're both working through, even if they're different. They had met in unlikely circumstances, one of the worst in some cases, and he had seen her bad side in those first few moments when she was trying hand over the money, killing five people within minutes. Of course, he couldn't like her in anything but how a dog and a cat who watch the other like a hawk can like each other. "You're right, you're not an expert at all."

With that she walked off, but didn't go far when she heard, "We may have our differences, Firebird, but we both hide from our past. I stopped running from mine a long time ago, but you're still running."

She stopped, her heart skipping a few beats as memories flashed in her vision. Before she knew what, she was doing, she had spun around and attacked Onyx with vicious precision: a kick to the groin and an elbow to the stomach to make him collapse to his knees, then a fist into his jaw for extra measure. With bleeding knuckles, she pointed at him. "Don't you ever talk about me like that again, you bastard! Next time, it'll be a blade through your heart!"

He smiled maliciously. "I was only stating facts, Firebird."

"Don't call me that!" she snarled.

His smile turned into a wicked grin. "Or what?"

Phoenix seethed, balling her fists tightly until her nails broke the skin. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. "Go, now. Before I do something, I regret."

Onyx stood. "You'd regret killing me?"

"That's not what I said."

"No, but it's what you're implying, right?"

She opened her eyes and saw he was very close, heat radiating off him. "I was implying that if you didn't leave, I'd be inclined to something drastic, too drastic even for you."

"Which would be?"

Her eyes narrowed, annoyed he was carrying this on, but oddly feeling her body relax somewhat with his voice. "Killing everyone on this island," she whispered and her breath caught in her throat at his raised brows. "I wouldn't care who. I'd kill without thinking."

"Even Gwen?" She nodded. Onyx's eyes searched her face for any spark of humor, but there was only grim truth. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" she sighed, stepping back, and feeling uncomfortable. "I'm not exactly other women if you haven't noticed."

He chuckled. "I've noticed, all right! What I don't understand is why. I'm not asking so I can judge you. I'm asking because I genuinely want to know what the hell happened to you to make you do all these things. Is that so bad?"

She shrugged. "You might be able to face your past, Onyx, but I can't. Not when I can't even face the next day without feeling so alone."

Speechless, Onyx awkwardly pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Somewhat ignorant on how to comfort someone when they needed it. Phoenix didn't seem to mind because she was trying to figure out how to accept his hug without putting some messed-up excuse behind it like he was using her. His chest rumbled as he said, "You're not alone. You have Elliot and Gwen. You have Tarek, who I'm sure found his way back to the coffee shop. They're your family, and they'll help you."

"They aren't family," she hissed.

"Family doesn't have to be blood to make them yours," Onyx elaborated softly. "They just have to be there for you when no one else is."

"They're not always there," she grumbled.

"Because you don't let them in."

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't be letting you in either."

He chuckled and pulled away. "You win for the day. I need to go." Her confusion must've shown on her face because he smiled. "You caught a centaur, I did not. You win. And Ecthrois was right earlier when he said I had a job to do. I need to go."

She nodded and pulled hair behind her ear. "Meet me again sometime?"

Surprise lit his eyes before going neutral again. "I'll come by and pick you up at your house. Probably not tomorrow, but expect a morning visit the next day."

Phoenix bobbed her head and turned, ready for a bed even though it was still day light out.

"And Firebird," he said. She turned to see his body facing town and his face towards her, eyes dark and full of determination. "It's okay to tell your past with someone. Even if it's as much as you told me today, it's fine to tell other people you trust. Don't let despair eat you up because then your life is ruined." And with that, he walked away.