You Broke Me First Phoenix Mountain Series Book 3

I stand in my room, looking into my black framed, full length mirror.

I run my hands down my form fitting, black dress that’s high in front and hits the floor in the back.

I fix my large neat bun and touch up my makeup.

I stare at myself for a moment. Something stirs inside, but I push it down. My wolf spins circles, but I ignore her.

I’m doing what I was born to. What I was always born to. I was a fool to think Azriel could take that away.

I hold up my hand and it washes with white lightning. I turn it around in front of my face, looking at it.

I turn to my reflection. This. This is what I need. This is all I need…isn’t it…

I drop my hand and raise my head. “Yes. This is all I need.” I say in a deep voice.”

I spin and my dress twirls out. It swishes behind me as I leave my black room.

I walk through the halls of the black castle like mansion.

As I walk fast past the open windows, I stick out my arm. “Muriel!” I bark without looking.

A large raven flies in and lands on my arm. She moves to my shoulder as I open the double doors to Sterling’s office.

I pick Muriel off my shoulder and send her flying to a perch in the corner by the fireplace. She lets out a loud caw.

“Sterling.” I say in a commanding voice.

“Samantha.” He breathes. He gets up and walks around his desk.

“You look just…” He bites his lower lip.

He walks over to me and grabs my head. He presses his lips to mine and kisses me passionately.

I let out a soft moan.

He pulls back. “How’s your magic?”

I hold out my hand and white lightning swirls around it. I look around the room and fire it with ease at a statue.

It shatters in pieces. The pieces hit the floor.

I smile. “It’s working fine.”

Sterling looks to the pieces on the floor. “Damn. I liked that statue.”

I cross my arms. “The smoke. That’s new Sterling. Where’d you get it.”

He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a vial filled with black liquid. He hands it to me and I lift it in front of my face.

“A gift. From a new friend. He calls himself the Shaman.” He smirks.

My eyes fixate on the liquid. “The Shamans dead.” I mutter.

He chuckles. “Draco Torrent is dead. The Shaman is alive and well, Sam.”

I palm the vial and cross my arms. “How?”

He sits back at his desk. “You can kill a body, Sam. That’s the easy part. But a name. That’s a little bit more difficult. A name, given the right usage, can live forever. All you need is new bodies to pick it up.”

I step up to his desk. “I don’t understand.”

He smiles. “The Shaman, Sam. It’s like a hydra. Cut off one head and two more grow in its place. As long as the Shamans vault remains intact, the next body steps into it and another Shaman is born.”

“So there’s more out there that know his magic?” I ask.

Sterling leans back. “Essentially, yes.”

I pull the vial out in front. “And this gives the ability to teleport in the smoke.”

“As well as increased strength and ability to reverse magic spells with one…single…kiss.” The corner of his mouth ticks up.

My brow comes together. “Kind of a weird trait.”

He shrugs. “A special request of mine knowing the magician had you bound. I needed to free you.”

I tip the bottle back and forth. “How does it work?”

“You drink it.” He motions to me. “Go ahead. That one’s yours.”

“Just once?” I ask.

He nods. “Only once.”

I hold the vial in my fingertips. The black liquid swirls around inside.

I bite my lower lip and pop the cork off the top.

I put the opening to my lips and tip it back. The liquid warms as it slides down my throat.

I stand and stare at Sterling. The bottle falls from my fingers and shatters on the floor.

I fall to my knees.

In blurred vision, I watch Sterling walk over to me. He puts his hands in his pockets.

“You’ll be a new person tomorrow, Samantha. A powerful Raven Luna.”

I fall to my side and my head hits the floor. My eyes close. As the room fades away, Darcy’s face is the last thing I see with all the pain I caused him all over it.

****

I wake the next morning on my bed. I jolt up and look around. I look down and I’m in a black silk nightgown. I feel my hair and it’s down.

Muriel caws from her perch by the large windows. The black sheer curtains blow in the breeze.

She caws once more and flies outside. I watch as she joins her conspiracy of other ravens. They fill the sky in a black wave. Their caws echo across the morning dawn.

I place my bare feet on the cold black marble floor. A black silk robe lays on the end of the bed.

I pick it and put it on as I walk out of the room.

I seek out Sterling.

I find him on the back terrace. It’s all black stone and he’s eating at a table set all in black.

He looks up as I walk through the French doors.

He wipes his mouth “Good morning. Sit. Please.”

I walk over slowly and take the empty seat across from him.

A servant brings a dish and pours some coffee at my place.

I look up and nod. The servant nods back and leaves.

“The omelets are wonderful. Eat." He points to my plate.

I pick up my fork and cut some. I put it in my mouth and chew.

I nod in agreement. “It’s good.”

Memories of Darcy’s cooking quickly flash and leave my mind.

I shake my head and drink my coffee.

Sterling wipes his mouth again. “So. How do you feel?”

“The same.” I say.

“Have you tried it?” He asks.

“No.” I answer.

He throws his napkin down. “Well, go ahead.”

I stare at him. “How?”

“You look to where you want to be and will it.” He says.

I look around and pick a spot in front of the doors.

I turn and stare at the spot.

“Feel yourself being there.” Sterling whispers. “Feel the smoke surround you.”

I concentrate hard.

Then I hear a large puffed explosion.

My eyes are filled with smoky darkness.

A split second later I’m standing on the terrace facing Sterling. I’m a bit wobbly on the landing, but I laugh as the black smoke swirls around me and is absorbed back into my body.

“I did it!” I laugh and look to Sterling.

He smiles. “Ok. Come back.”

I stare at the chair and again I puff out and puff back sitting in my chair.

I look around and laugh again. “Oh my God. It’s exhilarating!”

He grins. “It is, isn’t it.”

I look up at him with a big grin.

He leans on the table. “A couple of things. Don’t teleport unless you’re sure you know where you’ll land. Don’t over use it. It’s quite energy draining and a war is the last place you want to lose energy. The kiss will not bring back the dead, so don’t even try.”

I nod.

“Now, my beautiful Luna. We have some planning to do.” He lifts his cup to his lips.

“Planning?” I ask as I do the same.

He lowers his cup to the table. “Yes. Our next attack. We need to strategize. Now that we have you, our attack will be successful.” He smiles.

“Who are we attacking?” I arch a brow.

“A shifter town to the south called Kings Wharf. They’ve been reluctant to join my pack and I’ve grown impatient. I need to show them the Ravens are not a pack to say no to.” He crosses his arms.

I nod. “When?”

“Tonight. Under the cover of darkness.” He informs.

I stand. “I’ll prepare.”

He stands and walks to me. Cupping my cheeks in his hands. “My gorgeous witch. With you by my side, the Ravens will rise and cover the world with fear and obedience.” He softly kisses me then lets me go.

I give a small smile and leave.

I walk through the halls with my arms wrapped around me.

The thought of a battle, excites me, but there’s a little something inside that doesn’t feel right.

I try to bury it. Lock it away. I try to ignore it.

It’s like a tiny itch you can’t scratch. Just there. Playing your nerve endings. Irritating you and trying to break your focus.

I climb the stairs to my room.

In my bathroom, I shower. I hang my head in the water. Flashes. Over and over from that itch.

I’m the Queen. The Matriarch. I control thousands, yet I can’t control my own thoughts.

Sitting at my vanity, I comb my hair slowly as I stare into my own eyes.

My thoughts continue to haunt until Muriel landed on my vanity and cawed. I look over the her and smile. I reach out and run my hand down her soft feathers.

“I bet you don’t have problems controlling your thoughts. Your intentions are clear, aren’t they?” I say to her.

She stares at me with her black eye. Her head ticking at angles in twitches.

She caws again and flies off.

I put my elbows on my vanity and lace my fingers together. I rest my chin on them and stare at myself.

My mouth is small. “You won’t stop me. You won’t infect me. I won’t allow it.”

I get up with determination, my robes floating in the air behind me.

****

Under the cover of the night, we stand outside the town of 1000 people settling in after their day.

With Muriel on my shoulder, I reach up and grab her beak. I stare into her eyes.

“Be my eyes, my lovely.”

My eyes turn black and my vision turns to hers.

I throw her into the air and she caws into the blackness.

Through my eyes, Muriel swoops the town. Looking for any sign of resistance.

I break contact and turn to Sterling.

“You’re attack will be free of fight, Alpha.” I say to him.

He rubs my back and nods.

“Ravens, shift!” He orders through his link.

Our army of 2000 thousand calls the wind. I look behind me at the sea of jet black wolves growling and pawing at the ground.

Sterling looks to me. “On your order, Luna.”

I look out at the sleeping town. The itch stirs. Muriel shouts from somewhere in the dark.

I look at Sterling then back at the town.

I raise my chin and lock the itch. “Attack!” I bark through the link.

My dress flies in front of me as the wind from my army of wolves runs like a raging storm past me.

Sterling removes his robes. “To the death.” He says as he nods.

“To the death.” I repeat.

He shifts and runs into the town

People scream and run for their lives. Children cry for their mothers. Husband’s call out for their wives.

Wolves break down doors. Daggers fly in desperate hopes to defend the town.

Wolves clash in bloody contests.

I walk slowly into the battle.

I drop my arms and call my power.

I extend my arm and fire my lightning at a house and it explodes in a blaze of fire.

People run out coughing and dosing flames on their clothes.

A man comes at me with a dagger. I grab him by the neck and look into his eyes.

“Bow to me.” I growl.

His eyes roll back into his head. His skin turns grey. His body goes limp as I suck the life out of him.

I turn to the battle and toss his body to the side.

My hair blows up behind me. Twirling in the wind of my power.

I look to the side of the road. I pick up a pile of debris and toss it into the battle.

Men scream as their pummeled by concrete and rock.

I raise my hand to a tree as I walk and pull it down in front of me.

The trees trunk breaks and falls. Landing on the battle.

Again the air fills with agony.

I continue to walk down the main road and reach a hand out to a house on one side. I grab another one on the other side and bring my hands together.

The houses turn to crumbling rubble and fall on the fighters.

My head lowers and a smirk crosses my lips.

Sterling runs to me and shifts.

“Samantha. We’re losing fighters with your attacks.” He looks into my eyes as I walk.

I reach out and grab four men. I raise my hand. They rise into the air and I throw them into a building. Their screams fill my ears.

I don’t look at him. “You wanted death, I’m giving you death.” I growl.

“Of them, not us.” He motions to the battle.

I whip my head to him. “Call more fighters.” I order. My eyes flare and he backs away. He almost looks scared.

“Yes. I’ll order more.” He says slowly.

He sends the link and shifts.

“BRING ME THE ALPHA!!” I shout to the fighting.

My face twists into evil satisfaction. I walk slowly through the sounds of lives ending. “We have some things to discuss.” I say to myself as my dress drags through pools of blood and over the sides of bodies laying in the street.