I’m Not Taking No for an Answer

<p>Three days later, Phoenix still hadn't seen hide nor hair of Onyx or his friends. She went into town each day to see if one of them would show up and explain what was going on, but nothing. She had finally decided to meet Onyx at the coffee shop after much deliberation with herself that day, and waited an hour before Advandth showed up saying he got tied up and couldn't make it. When Phoenix asked when he would show up again, she had shrugged and said whenever he wants. Phoenix demanded her to tell Onyx to come and explain himself and apologize, then waited in the same spot until morning. He didn't show up, and Advandth didn't deliver anymore messages.<br/>Now, she was sitting at home dusting the different rooms when Elliot appeared in the doorway of the family room, watching her in sad curiosity. She hadn't told him why she was out all night the other day, but blew him off and told him to get a life. He knew she hadn't meant it, but was a little depressed at her attitude. Today, he thought she looked irritated, only busying herself to stop thinking about whatever it was that was troubling her. As usual, he didn't pry into her business if she didn't want to talk, but he secretly wished she would talk to him.<br/>"Phoenix, I'm going into town," he whispered. "Do you need anything?"<br/>She shook her head and continued dusting. <br/>"I'll be back tonight," he said, just to see her reaction.<br/>Nothing, just moving on to another piece to dust. He sighed and left the house, only to run into a man he has never seen before. "Excuse me, I didn't see you there," he said politely.<br/>Elliot nodded and kept walking, only to stop in sudden shock and look back at him. The voice was familiar, yet so very foreign. Where had he heard that voice before?<br/>There was a knock on the door and Phoenix mustered the courage to see who it was, setting down her duster and walking to it. When she opened it, a man with light brown hair and deep gray eyes looked down at her with a smile. "Who are you?"<br/>He put a hand near his heart. "I'm hurt you don't recognize me."<br/>She stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry?"<br/>His façade faded and he glared at her, then brought out a knife. "I'm not in the mood. Where is the real box?"<br/>Phoenix crossed her arms and sighed with exasperation. "Whatever you want, I do not have it, so please get off my property before I kill you."<br/>The man put his hands-on top of the door frame, leaning in towards her with dark intent. "My lady, you should stop playing games and—"<br/>She pushed him away and snarled, "I'm not playing any games, sir. Get off my property or I won't hesitate to kill you, and I don't make empty threats."<br/>He ignored her threats and stormed forward, pushing Phoenix into the house and looking around. "I know it's here!" he hissed.<br/>Phoenix fell back into a chair and stared dumbly after him, unsure what he was talking about. Whatever it was, she wasn't about to let him get away with this. Grabbing a serrated knife from a drawer nearby, she ran after him. He was going through her kitchen cabinets and drawers, cursing at whatever he wasn't finding. "Get out of my house!" she growled, now in full fighting position.<br/>He turned to her and snorted, then pushed past and went up the stairs. She followed him, surprised at her lack of strength at the moment. When they were at the top, she jumped onto his back and wrapped her legs around his middle, her arms around his neck, getting a good grip. He snarled loudly and grabbed her wrist with one hand and ankle with the other, twisting hard. <br/>She screamed and loosened her grip enough for him to throw her into a wall. His knife in hand now, he stalked towards her with a predator glint in his eyes.<br/>Onyx was walking around town when he saw Phoenix's friend coming out of the post office. His eyes looked distant and Onyx wondered what he was thinking about. Onyx had come here to find Phoenix and try to clear up some assumptions she might have about him, but he didn't find her anywhere, not even the bridge or coffee shop. He knew she usually comes to town, but today was different. <br/>Walking up to her friend, he grabbed his arm. The boy spun around and looked almost frightened until his eyes narrowed into a glare. "What do you want?"<br/>Onyx wondered what was wrong with him to be so jumpy. "Where is Phoenix?"<br/>The boy's eyes widened and he stiffened. "Not here."<br/>"Obviously. Where is she?"<br/>"Why?" he asked, but shook his head. "Forget it. One of your friends went to see her at home."<br/>"Friends?" Onyx hissed, not knowing anyone knew where she lived, except him and the boss—who was too lazy to get out and walk that far.<br/>"Yeah, who else would it be?"<br/>Onyx didn't answer, just started running to her house, confusion hurting his head. Who would go to her house? And why? Yes, she is wanted by the boss, but he wanted it done a certain way, and it was not by kidnapping. And, why is he caring at all what happened to her? She was a victim for the boss, that was all. He shook his head to clear his thoughts then ran faster.<br/>When he got there, the door was open and there was a thud from one of the above floors. Onyx ran up and found a man kneeling beside Phoenix with something in his hand. He hissed, "You won't get away with stealing, my dear. This does not belong to you." Then he slid a knife to her throat and she tried to move away or fight back, but whimpered instead. <br/>Onyx stepped inside and crossed his arms. "Leave the girl alone. Didn't anyone teach you the manners of fighting?"<br/>The man spun around in fury and surprise, body tense and blocking Phoenix. He put the small item in his pocket and lifted the knife to defend himself. "This is none of your business, sir. Leave before you regret it."<br/>Onyx snorted and took a step forward. "This is my business because I have come to take her out. Now I can't because you hurt her. I don't like my plans being changed on such short notice, so before you're spitting blood through your mouth, I suggest you give her back her property and get out."<br/>The man laughed. "Her property?"<br/>Phoenix moved slightly, using her left arm to reach for a hidden knife. Onyx took another step and said, "Unless there is something I am missing?"<br/>"She stole this from a child's bedroom!"<br/>"And I suppose you're such a gentleman you're returning it to the poor child?" <br/>The man stiffened barely, but answered too quickly. "Yes."<br/>Phoenix winced as she tried to inch forward and Onyx finally saw her right wrist and left ankle, bright red and swollen. Anger boiled through him but he didn't show it. "I see," he said slowly and shrugged. "Then tell me, why did I find you trying to kill her for something so stupid? And why are you in her house?"<br/>The man had no answer for Onyx, but didn't have enough time to think about one when Phoenix ran her blade through his calf, then twisting it. He spun and backhanded her across the face, then aimed his knife at her just as Onyx threw him out the window. When he bent down over Phoenix, she was unconscious with blood on her lips. He cursed under his breath and went to pick her up, when he saw the man through the window, pulling himself up onto the sill, laughing. "When she wakes, tell her I know the secret behind this little box!" With that, he jumped down. <br/>"Phoenix, wake up," he demanded softly. But she only stayed still, except for the rise and fall of her chest. "Damn it!"<br/>Picking her up, he walked over to a bedroom, not caring whose it might be, and placed her onto the bed, then grabbed a wet cloth and wiped the blood and looked at her wrist and ankle. The didn't look good, he thought, and would need a doctor's help. The only problem was she lived an hour out of town, and it would take too long to get help from there. Out of frustration, he threw a picture, shattering the frame against the wall into tiny pieces.<br/>Downstairs, a door slammed shut and the boy shouted, "Phoenix!"<br/>Onyx groaned and looked over at the woman in despair and helplessness. Without thinking, he picked her up and started down to the front door. He only made it to the bottom of the stairs when he was stopped. "Get out of my way if she is to live."<br/>"What the hell happened?" the boy asked.<br/>Onyx glared at him. "My friend attacked her over a damn box! She needs a doctor immediately if her limbs are going to survive. Now move!"<br/>Carefully, the boy did and Onyx ran past him, onto the meadow and into the forest. He ran to the bridge that lead to Death Archipelago. It was as bad as it sounded, but the only place that held the best doctors and healers Onyx could think of at the moment. It was full of spirits from the past, both good and bad, but it was also where the ancient ones lived, knowing all the ways nature and manmade objects could help the human body. Onyx only had one problem: there was a price. He wasn't sure what the price would be, but he'd have to pay it if Phoenix was going to be healed quickly. <br/>It took only fifteen minutes to get to the bridge, and another ten to get onto the Archipelago. A woman met him at the entrance and took Phoenix away, telling him to stay, that he was not allowed to answer. Irritated, he reluctantly stayed, but paced relentlessly. A moment after she disappeared, a man walked up to him, judging eyes watching Onyx carefully. He grunted and sat down, legs crossed and hands clasped. He gestured for Onyx to do the same, then said, "One wrist and one ankle. The price is high."<br/>"Fine. What is it?" Onyx said through gritted teeth.<br/>The old man, who had a long, silvery beard, frowned as if he didn't understand his words. But then he said, "Leave your clan. Free the man in the cells. If not, the girl will unexpectedly break her wrist and ankle again, and this time her neck."<br/>"That's not fair!" Onyx growled.<br/>"Life is not fair," the man droned. "Will you accept, or will you let her suffer?"<br/>Suffer. Suffer. Suffer. Onyx's brain chanted. Accept. Accept. Accept. A small voice said in the back of his mind. He would let her suffer if only to punish her for not being in town today and getting into trouble, but if he didn't accept, the boss would probably forget about their deal. He couldn't lose the deal.<br/>"I accept." <br/>The man nodded and stood up. "She will be out by night fall."<br/>"Nightfall?"<br/>"Healing takes time, young one. If it were a major injury, it would take weeks. Be glad it's only a few hours."<br/>The man left and Onyx sat staring after him, unsure if he should leave or stay. If it would take hours, then he had time to go see Devdan and Ecthrois, see if Rokr found anything. But what if she returned when he was gone? This place wasn't a place for innocent women like her—no matter how innocent she is or isn't—even he got chills when coming here. Feeling bored, he decided to leave and return by sunset.<br/>When he got to Tariel's house, he found Devdan waiting for him. Advandth was coming out with a distressed look. Behind her in the house, Ecthrois appeared looking frustrated which made Onyx alert for anything. Before he could ask, Ecthrois started. "We found several passages throughout the house, but no sign of Tariel. We each searched a passage or two and nothing but dead ends."<br/>"Where's Rokr?"<br/>"Searching the house for anymore, for anything we might have missed."<br/>Advandth tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Where's Phoenix?"<br/>Onyx glared at her. "Not here."<br/>"You're pissed about something, what happened?" she pried.<br/>"You're asking questions that is putting your nose into other's business."<br/>She smirked and crossed her arms. "Onyx, did you kill her already?"<br/>He growled, "No, someone else tried to though. I'm the one trying to save her, for no reason other than to keep the boss happy. Happy now?"<br/>She smiled. "Very!" Walking up to him, she looked into his dark eyes. "Feel better?"<br/>"No," he hissed. "My other victim has disappeared into thin air without a trace! I'm beyond pissed off!"<br/>Ecthrois shifted nervously as Rokr's voice sounded through the house. "Help!"<br/>All four of them ran inside to find the man bleeding on the ground, a hole in his gut. "Shit!" Devdan hissed.<br/>Onyx stared down at him without any sign of emotion on his face. "Did you find him?"<br/>Sitting up, Rokr nodded. "But he has people there, guarding him. Also, they're trapped in there without another way out, so whenever you want to go in there, they can't go anywhere. From the look of it, they only had a few weeks worth of supplies, give or take."<br/>Onyx nodded and began to pace the room, letting Ecthrois do what he could for Rokr with Advandth helping. When he glanced outside, he found the sun already in its descent to the horizon. Something told him that if he left here without a trace, things would go wrong. But he also suspected He'd be facing a furious Phoenix next time they meet if he did not go see her tonight and make sure everything was alright---not that he cared, of course.<br/>Hours later, in Death Archipelago, Phoenix woke up to a dull sky and a terrible pain in her wrist and ankle. When she tried to move, something held her down, making her instantly alert. Her eyes snapped open and found a wad of curly silvery hair above her, swishing slightly since it was attached to a woman. Another sharp pain coursed through her body, making her cry out, until it vanished as quickly as it had come. Now, there was only a tingling sensation and then nothing. The straps came undone and she sat up quickly, feeling nauseated. <br/>"I'd be careful if I were you," the old woman croaked. "You took a hard hit to the head."<br/>"Where am I?" Phoenix asked as calmly as she could.<br/>"Safe, for now." The ancient one handed her a cup steaming with something gross inside. "Drink. It'll get you home when you can find something substantial to eat."<br/>Phoenix drank the brown-green contents, cringing at the taste and smell, but didn't argue or complain. Instead, she started to feel strength come to her limbs and her mind clear enough to understand her surroundings better. She froze, unable to believe her eyes. <br/>"Your friend waits outside at the gates. He's expecting you," the old woman announced and started walking out. "From what I could see, he's impatient and worried for you."<br/>Phoenix blinked and followed her out and wrapped her arms around her body, feeling chilled to the bone even though it was warm. Her eyes drifted from one gray spot to another, finding shadows and faces watching her. For some reason, she continued to see the same face as always: her father's. She couldn't tell if he was angry at her or just observing—either way, Phoenix was shaking with anxiety.<br/>It felt like an eternity for them to reach the gates, even though it only took maybe ten minutes. The ancient woman stopped and looked back at the young girl, finding her blue eyes distant and glazed over. She wasn't paying attention and ran right into the poor elder, murmuring an apology as she blinked and looked up. Phoenix hadn't known what to expect, but it wasn't Onyx. He looked up at her and locked eyes, seeming to relax a little at seeing her. <br/>When she stepped outside of the gates, he caught her as she began to stumble, furrowing his brows at her clumsiness. "How do you feel?" he asked softly.<br/>Shakily, she nodded her head, but leaned into him for warmth. Onyx wasn't sure what her actions meant, but decided it was better if he didn't ask, only making sure she got home. Behind them, the woman said, "Don't worry, girl. He's not disappointed with you."<br/>Phoenix tried to stand but found herself being lifted into strong arms that gently rested her against a hard chest. She stared back at the haunting Death, wondering what the woman meant. When they set foot on the bridge, she began to struggle to get down, but Onyx held tighter. "Let me go, please."<br/>"Let me help you home, then I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night," he said softly.<br/>She shook her head. "No. I need to go alone. I need—"<br/>"I'm not taking no for an answer, Phoenix. The boy knows you're with me, knows what happened. I told him I'd bring you home as soon as you healed."<br/>Phoenix thought back to what had happened that morning and shuddered, hardly believing she was overpowered. It rarely happened, and usually never so easily. Scolding herself mentally, she slumped against Onyx, defeated. She breathed, "What happened to him?"<br/>"He fled, unfortunately." Onyx sensed something wrong with the woman in his arms and looked down at her, finding her eyes closed and limp. Just barely in the moonlight, he saw a small tear in the corner of her eye before her hand swiped it away angrily. <br/>He was about to speak when she said, "You ditched me. Then stayed away for three days." Onyx furrowed his brows and bit his lip, wondering what to say. But she continued. "You sent your girlfriend to do all the talking and thought everything would be alright." Her body tensed slightly before she growled, "What the hell is your damn problem?"<br/>Onyx breathed slowly for ten seconds and felt amusement rise in his throat. "First of all, Advandth isn't my girlfriend. She's what most people would call a peer or a colleague. Second of all, I didn't ditch you on purpose. And I told her to tell you I'd tell you everything when we met, but obviously that didn't happen." He sighed and finally made it to the end of the bridge. "I can't tell you here. Let's get you home, then we can talk about the details."<br/>Phoenix opened her eyes and looked at the man carrying her, slowly relaxing again. "Why did you stay away for three days?"<br/>"Were you worried?" he asked with a smirk.<br/>"No, but—" her voice trailed off, thinking of a less embarrassing reason for her foolish anger and disappointment. "I thought we were supposed to be friends?"<br/>Onyx chuckled. "If you want something to trust, trust this, Phoenix." He stopped and looked down at her with absolute seriousness. "If I do not show up for something we plan, it is for a very good reason. Usually not one I want to be a part of, either."<br/>Phoenix nodded slowly and looked away, feeling stupid. Her hands clasped tightly together, making her knuckles white, and she scolded herself mentally. Then she silently scolded Onyx for being so reasonable. Maybe this friend thing really wouldn't work out, she thought with glee. The only person she's ever really had a good relationship with was Elliot. Not to mention Gwen, but she was more of an acquaintance than a friend. <br/>"I stayed away because that's how long I was tied up. My job is more important to me right now than having fun, so please do not judge me for wanting enough money to feed myself."<br/>"I wasn't judging you. I understand," she whispered.<br/>"I don't know how you would understand when—"<br/>Phoenix glared up at him, rage boiling like lava through her veins. "You know nothing about me Onyx!" she spat, rolling out of his arms to land on her feet. When she straightened, she took a step away from him and crossed her arms. "Do not assume that I live in a grand house, means I have always lived there! I have more to me than what people see! You are not my friend, though I thought that's what you wanted. But until we are, don't just assume shit! I hate people who assume shit about me when they know absolutely nothing!"<br/>Onyx stepped back a pace, shocked at her display of anger. But he met her on the same level but at a lower tone, a more dangerous tone. "I wasn't assuming anything. When I assume, it's to myself. I don't share my assumptions with other people. I was going to say that I don't know how you would understand when you aren't in a gang, when you don't know what it's like to feel threatened everyday of your life, no matter how many times the people you sleep with call you their brother. I don't know how you would understand when one harmless mistake can get you killed by the boss, and it can be as small as a feather, because you at least know that boy has your back, because you at lest know that house you live in is yours, not someone else's who's giving a very hard bargain for you to live there."<br/>"And you think that's why I don't understand why your job is important to you?" she scoffed. <br/>"If you had listened to me, we wouldn't have had this argument. But, no." Onyx sighed and took another deep breath. "I didn't mean for you to take it so offensively. Honestly, you surprised me."<br/>Phoenix relaxed a little and looked away, feeling somewhat ashamed of her actions. Onyx watched her for a moment, wondering, thinking, calculating her words. He could see some hidden meaning behind her words, some far distant part of her she is trying to keep locked up. He knew she was more than what the eye could see, knew she must've went through something if she wanted to kill Tariel so much. His thoughts went back to the boss and the picture he had of her as a young girl with a family. Hmm, he thought. <br/>"I'm sorry I reacted that way. I don't normally get out of control," she whispered and turned, starting to walk.<br/>Onyx followed her, just a few paces behind to give her room for a while until the sight of her house appeared across the meadow. She stopped, staring out—maybe without truly seeing—as he came up behind her and loomed over her small, yet strong body. "Let's keep moving, Phoenix."<br/>Snapping out of her daze, she ran. </p>