Free Web NovelChapter 58: Snake’s Shadow (2)
A couple of hours later...
In the dimly lit room, the Phoenixes sat around the large table. Marcus, the leader, sat at the head of the table with Sable, Lova, and Nova on either side. They were discussing the recent recruitment of Shinon into their ranks.
Marcus cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Shinon’s recruitment is a complicated matter. He despises us, and we know it. So, we have to be cautious in our approach."
"We can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. He’s already agreed to work for us, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to sabotage us at every turn." Nova replied.
"Don’t listen to my pipsqueak twin," Lova cracked her knuckles. "I say we keep a close eye on him. If he tries anything, I’ll take care of it. Sable would agree-"
"Not necessarily."
But surprisingly, for the first time, the usually warmongering Sable wasn’t on the side of violence.
"We can’t just rely on brute force and need to be strategic. Maybe we should try to gain his trust and find out his true intentions." She said. "From how he left the settlement so boldly, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to accept our deal so easily."
Nova nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sable is right. We need to gain his trust, and we can’t have someone working for us who doesn’t believe in our cause. We’ll assign a trusted member to keep an eye on him and report back to us."
"How about Selena?" Marcus said without a care in the world.
The room fell silent. None of them had expected Marcus to volunteer Selena for the cause, not with the past the two shared.
"You all are looking at me like you have seen a ghost." Marcus smiled and got up from his seat. "The relationship Selena shared with me died along with her brother last year. She has moved on, and I think it’s time I moved on as well."
Another bout of silence followed Marcus’s admittance to his failed relationship. He and Selena had been close for ages, but after Marcus failed to protect Selena’s brother, who also happened to be Marcus’s best friend, their relationship pretty much fell off a cliff.
Selena blamed him for what happened, but then again, Marcus had a more important job to do as the leader of the Phoenixes. Ever since then, he had latched on to the hope that someday Selena would see why he did what he did, but that day never came.
So now Marcus had decided to treat Selena the same as everyone else and use her for his benefit, even if it meant toying with her emotions.
Finally, Marcus spoke up again. "We’ll also have to keep our true intentions hidden from him, and we can’t let him know our end goal. The less he knows, the better."
Sable nodded, "Agreed. We’ll have to play our cards close to our chest. And if he steps out of line, we’ll ensure he regrets it."
"I can’t wait for him to slip up. I’ll show him what happens when you cross the Phoenixes." Lova grinned.
Nova rolled her eyes, "Can we focus on the task at hand? We need to find a way to gain Shinon’s trust without revealing too much about our true intentions." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
The Phoenixes continued to discuss their plans, their voices low and hushed. They knew that Shinon was a dangerous opponent, and they needed to be careful.
But they also knew that they had the upper hand. Shinon had no other choice but to work for them, and they would use that to their advantage.
After discussing Shinon in detail, they discussed different topics concerning them and their settlement, including the growing threat from the Trader. But there wasn’t much they could’ve done about her at the moment.
As the meeting came to a close, the Phoenixes all stood up, their eyes gleaming with excitement. They knew they were in for a wild ride, but they were ready for it. They were the Phoenixes, after all, and nothing could stop them.
***
Shinon and Selena made their way back to the infirmary, where Rico was admitted. Kira was waiting for them there, her expression tense with worry.
"Kira, how is he?" Shinon asked, his voice laced with concern.
Kira looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.
"He’s stable for now, but he’s still in critical condition," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "The hole in his chest is too deep, and the doctor fears the blood loss might have been too much..."
Shinon’s heart sank at the news, and he wished he could do something to help his friend recover. Unfortunately, there wasn’t, so he took to comforting Kira, but first, he turned to Selena, who had been silent this whole time.
"Thank you for your help," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But I’d like a moment with Kira alone, if you don’t mind?"
"I’m sorry about what happened to Rico. I hope he recovers soon." Selena nodded and left, knowing they weren’t close enough to do anything else.
Once Selena had gone, Shinon sat beside Kira, gently patting her back. "It’s not your fault, Kira. You couldn’t have predicted what the bear would do."
Kira looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. "But it was after me. Rico saved me, and now he’s hurt."
Shinon hugged her tightly, feeling her body shake with sobs. "Rico is the strongest man I know. Believe me, he’ll pull through... I know he will."
"I...," Kira sniffled and buried her face into Shinon’s chest. "I just can’t stop thinking about how I could have prevented this. I feel so guilty."
Shinon rubbed her back soothingly. "Listen, Kira. You can’t blame yourself for everything that happens. Sometimes, things are out of our control, and what matters is how we respond to them."
He continued, "Besides if it’s anyone who should feel guilty, it’s me. It was my fault I didn’t make sure the bear was dead for good."
"Do you really think Rico will be okay?" Kira looked up at him, her eyes searching his for comfort.
"I know he will. He’s tough, just like you. And we’re all here for him." Shinon smiled reassuringly.
Kira leaned back into his embrace, her tears subsiding. "Thank you, Shinon. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
"You’ll never have to find out. We’re in this together, Kira." Shinon hugged her tighter, feeling a warm sense of comfort over him. "All of us."
