Chapter 13

Aisha had left him alone. Lucky was now seated cross legged on the boulders that we're in the middle of the stream that was past the forest line that Rufus had passed earlier. He was throwing pebbles one by one and watching them sink before throwing in more. He huffed a breathe.

"You know I can feel your presence, right?". Lucky said slowly as he dropped the last of the pebbles he had been holding on his side of the boulder where he had been seated.

A light blue haired girl appeared from behind him easily balancing herself on the stream as if it was a kind of a floor to her. She was dressed in a white sleeveless figure hugging dress, slightly above her knees and had glitters?. Whatever! Lucky didn't care though he hadn't turned to face her to know what she was dressed in, he could see her reflection on the water plus the girl seemed to love wearing dresses with those shiny stuffs on. Lucky was already used to it.. to her.

The girl grinned. "I know but that doesn't mean I should stop trying to scare the Phoenix out of you". She paused as Lucky moved a little to give her space to sit too. She sat letting her legs dip in the cool waters which she didn't mind at all.

"I know I will scare you off one day". She added once seated.

Lucky gave a small smile, "Continue dreaming. Dreams are good!".

"You've not changed. You're still a tease and sarcastic Lucky!".

Lucky touched his chest feigning hurt, "Ambrose you've really hurt me". He said in a teasing tone. The girl, Ambrose, rolled her eyes as she slapped him on the arm playfully before they both fell on a comfortable silence.

"But I missed you dude!". Lucky said suddenly as he looked at her.

"Don't call me dude!. I'm one beautiful girl, can't you see?". Ambrose asked as she flipped her back earning an eye roll from Lucky. "I missed you too brooding Introvert Phoenix".

"Ouch! don't call me that." Lucky shot. He knew he was an introvert but not brooding.. okay, he was a little brooding but he didn't mind it. He was okay with that, like seriously? that was him and he was comfortable with himself.

He could read it off her, she was nervous and upset about something and he knew what it was about. After all, wasn't that the reason why he called her here?.

"Stop fidgeting Ambrose". Lucky said in a small voice.

Ambrose let out a breathe, "I am worried and stressed. How is he?".

Lucky looked at her, their eyes meeting and holding for a few minutes before he looked away at the other side. He exhaled sharply, not knowing how to tell her, not knowing what to not tell her..

"Be honest with me please". Ambrose said almost in a whisper, tone pleading as she placed her cold hand on his which was warm as usual. She was a SeaWing and most SeaWings were blood cold, all depending from which water body they were from.

(FireWings we're always warm because at most times they lived in the desert. It was where their Phoenixes recharged all the heat and it was the place where they were most comfortable, they were mostly known as the Red Phoenixes and the Phoenix with the most powerful and hottest flame amongst the three Phoenix clans. SeaWings were the coldest because mostly they lived in the sea. It was believed that if you looked closely after they were morphed into their original form, you could see the gills lined up on their feathers, they we're commonly known as the Blue Phoenixes. NightWings lived mostly in thick forests which were dark. They were stronger there plus they weren't cold nor warm. They we're commonly known as the Dark Phoenixes).

Lucky let out another breathe, "You want me to be honest with you?".

Ambrose nodded slowly as Lucky turned to look at her. She was on the verge of tears.

"He has no jade and is on the verge of death". Lucky explained briefly.

Ambrose gasped, her small hand covering her mouth. "No jade?. How? He was so strong when we were kids. A Phoenix with no jade shouldn't have so much energy!".

"It's like the moon and the sun. The moon gets off it's light and little energy from the sun, right?". Lucky asked, Ambrose slowly nodded though she didn't understand how his question was linked to this matter of Rufus having no jade.

"Like how a solar panel gets off it's energy from the sun during the day?". She asked. He nodded. "What do you mean? I don't get you".

Lucky let out another breathe as his shoulders slumped down releasing off a little tension.

"He was strong when we we're young because we we're close and my Phoenix was active. After my mom's passing on, I kept to myself and his energy decreased as we grew distant". Lucky explained. "I didn't know my being distant would affect him like this even though I was aware that he had no Jade. I didn't know he got his strength from me.. from my Phoenix".

"Why so? You two aren't mates!". Ambrose exclaimed.

"He's supposed to be my council".

"Like a concubine?." Ambrose asked.

"Sort of but still you know he won't get my jade through that. He needs a genuine mate. Someone who will love him, not use him". Lucky said sadly. "I want him to be happy".

"His happiness is in your hands. He loves you. Hell! We could smell his feelings for you when we were kids and we almost got chocked of it". She said with a small chuckle but it didn't reach her eyes. He saw it and took note of it.

Lucky shook his head, "I won't make him happy. I don't feel the same for him and that will make him sad. I don't want him bonded for life with someone who'll not love him back. Plus, I could also smell your feelings for him. Equally strong and almost chocking".

Ambrose said nothing.

"You thought no one knew? I knew but said nothing until now Ambrose. We all need you". Lucky added. He had this feeling that this conversation wouldn't go exactly as planned.

"What do you mean?".

"Rufus needs a jade to survive. You're the only option". Lucky said trying to weigh his words out carefully.

She huffed, "An option?. Lucky! are you even listening to yourself?". She yelled. He had been right, this wasn't going as planned. "You want me to give him my jade and then what?. You think that when he wakes up he'll be so delighted that we'll live happily ever after? Huh?. Wake up Lucky, this is not one of those novels or books that you read in your room!. This is life. Real life that we are talking about here!." She exclaimed as she took a deep breathe.

"We are in a love triangle here. He doesn't love me. He won't be happy with me and that hurts. He'll be happy with you. Delighted with your jade. I'm not selfish Lucky. I would have jumped at this chance of having him by my side fie the whole of this lifetime but no!.. he loves you. You are the one he needs. Rufus is most happy with you, something he's not when around me. That is one thing that I won't deprive him off. His happiness!". Ambrose said as she stood up from the boulder. Lucky looked up at her.

"Even when he's on the verge of death, you won't do it?". Lucky asked. "What's the use of happiness when he'll be six feet deep?. Will that make you happy?".

Ambrose turned, tearing away from Lucky's gaze as she gracefully jumped on dry land.

"Why don't you think about yourself for once? Your happiness?. You'll be happy". Lucky urged. "He can always learn to love you back. Hell, we have almost 584 years to live for this lifetime. It won't be hard to woo him, will it?".

Tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't easy as it seemed. She has tried for twelve years to woo Rufus but it never happened. Even with Lucky hiding in his room from the outside world, Rufus still thought of him. Not her. It hurt. So much that she didn't want to go through that again. She didn't want Rufus dead. Actually she didn't know which hurt most; being mated to someone who'll think of someone else constantly instead of you or that someone whom you'll love most being dead just because you were afraid of him living thinking and loving the other person.

"Why don't you do it?". She thought .

Lucky read that but said nothing, "Because I can't summon my jade. He's better off with you". He thought back though he knew she wouldn't be able to read his mind.

With a sniff, Ambrose started walking away into the woods in the other direction from where Lucky had come from.

"Think about it Ambrose. Do you want him dead. Or alive?". He said not needing to be loud, she would be able to hear him anyway.

Lucky just hoped that this would work out. That Ambrose would comply and help out. He hoped.