Avondale: The Golden Door

Secrets

Being back home made Suruli uneasy, she could feel the stares of the other phoenixes, and while some were friendly, most were judgemental. They remembered her from before, and they knew she shouldn't be here.

Suruli had kept quiet the whole day, making sure she drew as little attention as possible, especially from the smiling boy, Gari Robbins. Suruli had been thinking about him all day, and even though the evidence to prove her theory was there, she still couldn't believe it.

As the gang of dragons left the bathhouse and headed for dinner, Suruli quickened her pace to walk with Nisvārtha. "Shade?" she grunted under her breath.

The violet eyed drake looked down at the shorter phoenix, "What is it, Suruli?"

"When are we leaving?" she demanded quietly, making sure the rest of their group didn't hear.

Nisvārtha sighed, "I cannot say."

"Cannot or will not?"

Nisvārtha's eyes narrowed, "I cannot say when we will be leaving because I do not know when we are leaving."

"What factors will hurry our departure?"

Nisvārtha groaned, "Why are you so eager to leave, Suruli?"

"You know why," she snapped. "And I know the others are in agreement with me. The sooner we leave the better."

"We can't leave until Kendra has settled and shifted. That should not take long, so I am sure we can leave in a few days."

Suruli's hard expression turned furious and she smacked Nisvārtha on the head, "Do not even think about leaving her here, Nisvārtha Shade. You know damn well what will happen to her if you do."

Nisvārtha scowled and rubbed his head, "You can't be sure she will be picked, there is a chance she never will be, you know that."

Suruli rolled her eyes, "She may be safe for the next hundred years, but once she is an adult she will be in danger! You have watched this woman as long as I have, do you expect me to believe that she will not anger someone in the next century? Enough, perhaps, for them to—"

"Alright I see your point." Nisvārtha snapped, his eyes slightly panicked. He took a breath and ran a hand through his hair, "Regardless she needs to be here when she shifts. And then there are the hunters to think about."

Suruli scoffed and crossed her arms, "The hunters have always been a danger on your tail, Nisvārtha. That hasn't stopped you until now."

"I have my reasons, Suruli," he growled. "We stay until I give the word, am I clear?"

Suruli just glared and stormed off.

* * * *

They were halfway through a dinner of dead silence when Kendra finally snapped.

She stood and slammed her hands down on the table, "What the bloody hell is wrong with you lot?" she demanded.

Everyone just stared at her. "Kendra, what do you mean?" Sanna asked.

"The damn moodiness from all of you!" she snapped. "This morning was fine until breakfast, then you all went silent like a bunch of offended cats! So what is going on?"

Havala scoffed and folded her arms, "You can't be serious."

"What?"

Śarat put a hand on my arm and made me sit, "There is no possible way you have missed the overly cheerfulness of this pace, Kendra. It is creepy."

Kendra frowned and looked at everyone, "This is mad, they're just being nice. Ever heard of hospitality? This is what it looks like."

"No, Kendra." Suruli said. "They are watching us. Testing us. It is part of their game."

"Game?" Kendra scoffed in disbelief. "This isn't a game you guys! They're just people!"

"That may be Truth," Nisvārtha said. "But still, we should not trust them."

Kendra stood up again, "You're unbelievable! All of you!" and she moved to leave.

Sanna grabbed her arm, "Kendra wait—"

"Let me go!" she said furiously, ripping her arm from Sanna's hands. "I'm going to the library," she said, glaring at everyone. "I need time alone," and she left.

Sanna sat back down with a heavy sigh and the others were silent for a moment, watching the golden eyed fledgling storm out.

"We have to tell her," Śarat said.

Sanna glared at her, "We can't."

"Why not?" Śarat crossed her arms. "She deserves to know."

"This is Kendra we are talking about!" Sanna hissed. "How do you think she will handle this?"

"Not well," Havala muttered. "That is certain."

"We still have to tell her." Śarat urged.

"I agree," Suruli said softly.

Everyone stared at her.

"My past is shameful, but it is the story Kendra needs to hear if she is to know Truth."

"I can't believe this!" Sanna looked almost as furious as Kendra had.

Havala sighed, "Why are you so against this, Sanna?"

"I am trying to protect her!"

Her blue eyes narrowed, "No, you are trying to shield her."

Sanna growled, "Is that not the same thing?"

"No, it is not." Everyone looked at Nisvārtha, who was speaking his first words since Kendra left. "Kendra already suspects something is off. She wants to know, and has every right to that knowledge." He leaned forward and steepled his fingers under his chin. "However it is not entirely necessary we tell her now. I think it would be better to tell her when we leave, so she cannot cause another situation like Benki Clan."

Suruli sighed, "We have to leave before the full moon then, that is when all hell will break loose."

"We are taking Kendra with us right?" Śarat asked.

Havala scoffed, "Of course we are! The minute she finds out Truth she will raise all kinds of trouble with her temper."

"And any trouble here never ends well." Suruli sighed. "Someone like Kendra will not last here long, we have no choice."

"We have to wait though," Nisvārtha said. "Kendra needs to shift here, and in a few days she should be shifted and recovered enough to go back to Clan Maretu."

"So she has a place?" Sanna said, his eyes hopeful.

Nisvārtha sighed, "I am not sure I have a choice anymore. Any other clan is likely to kill her just because of her eyes and skin, add in her sharp tongue and you have a recipe for disaster."