Read Phoenix for Free Online

long as it doesn't turn into the Lark and Beck show like everything else around here."
    After that, no one speaks, and we finish our dinner in silence.

CHAPTER SIX

    I shove the windows open, allowing a brisk breeze to fill the front room. Up and down the street, houses glow in the night. In fact, all the homes on our street seem to team with life and vibrancy. Only mine remains shrouded in twilight, a reminder that the occupant is unwell.
    With a sigh, I turn from the window. What I wouldn't give right now to have Kyra here rattling on about celebrity newsfeeds or gowns or boys. Instead, she's locked away at home with Maz doing things I don't even want to think about. She's taking her time off too far, in my opinion.
    In the street between our houses, a group of well-wishers has gathered. I've yet to be seen in public, and Callum and Annalise have been handling all of the family's public obligations. But at some point, I'm going to have to parade myself across the newscasting screens.  
    It would all be so much more palatable if Beck were with me, but everyone agrees it's best he not be seen until after the press conference. I furrow my brow.
    "I'm not changing my mind, Lark. No matter how much you pout." Henry sits near the fireplace, his left ankle resting on his right leg. "You are aware how dangerous you are to him? The two of you are still young, but Charles began to display erratic behavior as a teen. Granted, Charles didn't succumb to the madness until his early thirties, but still, when you are together, there is a marked change in Beck's behavior. I noticed it at Summer Hill, and I see it now."
    "He's fine, Henry, I swear." My voice sounds whiny even to my own ears. "We need to be together, so we can work on fixing the problem. Plus, I'm doing my best not to let my emotions overrun his."
    "That my be true, but it does not ease my mind. And it shouldn't ease yours either." My uncle taps his lips. "There's one other problem: Beck needs to stay out of sight until you convince the public he's no longer a threat or a Sensitive. That is, if you have any dreams of being together as a couple."
    With a little shake of my head, I say, "And how exactly do I do that?"
    "Admit you were wrong."
    "But the State doesn't make mistakes," I remind him. "Won't admitting fault make me seem weaker? I'm already on shaky ground with the Council." My fingers reach up to play with my necklace, back where it should have always been. Since visiting Beck, it no longer burns.
    "How did this happen?" I ask, more to myself than to my uncle.
    Henry thumps his fist against his thigh. "You've scared them, Lark. You organized a coupe and effectively overthrew the leadership." He stares me in the eyes. "You made that decision. Now you have to own it."
    As I toss myself onto the sofa, Miss Tully comes in with tea. Right now, seeing her is exactly what I need. From the minute I met her on my way to Summer Hill until now, she's been a comfort to me. Almost like Bethina.
    But she's not Bethina, and no one can ever replace her.
    Miss Tully sets the service on the low table before turning to me. "Lark, darling." She gently hugs me, filling me with a sense of safety. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay. A right scare you gave all of us." She steps back and wags her finger at me. "Don't do it again."
    I grin. My first real smile in days. "I don't plan on it."
    She pats my head. "Enjoy the tea. Call me if you need anything else."
    "Thank you," Henry and I say in unison.  
    Henry prepares the tea and hands me a cup. "The sign of a good leader is knowing when to compromise."
    "Mother never compromised."
    "Malin lacked the skill. She simply forced her will on everyone. That isn't leadership; it's dictatorship." He blows into his cup. "You don't want to be a dictator; it's more work than you can imagine."
    "So you think I should go back to the Council and ask for their help?"
    Henry takes another sip of tea. Then a third.
    "Are you going to answer me?" I ask,