Phoenix of Hope: Complete Series — Books 1-4

by Zora Marie

  “But that’s different. This is the Fenari and with Terik gone, I’m her only son. Her only child and she’s too old to have another.”

  “Rogath, look at me.” Zelia waited for him to meet her gaze. “Yargo let you come here for a reason. He had Zivu give you weapons for a reason. I can’t go, not in this state, but you can. I’ve watched you fight and use magic for years. You can master this.”

  “But what if I fail?”

  “Then Zelia and I will just have to sneak out and save both of your butts. Dragon fire burns Fenari, that’s why I’m not worried about the dragon riders,” Linithion said.

  Zelia stared at Linithion. She wasn’t even sure if she could stand at this exact moment, much less rescue someone. Dragons or no dragons. Linithion was right though, if she needed to, she would go after Rog and Terik, but maybe they didn’t have to do it alone.

  “Linithion is right, we will come after you. Even if it means Erolith will try to lock us away in separate towers from then on.”

  “As if that would work.” A smile brightened Rog’s features.

  “Exactly. So, keep practicing. I’m going to go see Donavain.” She tensed to rock to her feet and her legs yelled in protest like they had in Yalif’s office. “Would one of you help me up?”

  “Of course.” Linithion jumped to her feet and took Zelia’s hand. “Do you need me to help you get there?”

  “No, I’ll be fine once I’m on my feet.”

  “Alright. If you see Father, let him know of our progress.”

  “I will.”

  The guard by the door nodded in acknowledgement when she left the room. She waited for the door to click closed before asking, “Where can I find Erolith?”

  “Down the hall, the double doors on the right.”

  Zelia hobbled down the hall, her muscles tight from sitting after so much walking. Seeing her, the guard by the double doors knocked on the intricately carved wood that featured vines with little birds hidden in the leaves. The moment she was near the threshold he opened the door and nodded for her to enter.

  Erolith stood at a round table with a couple other Elves, his council of elders she guessed. Just like in the other room, he waited for the door to close before saying anything.

  “You may speak freely here, this room is warded. How is the lesson going?”

  “We’re making progress. Rogath is trying too hard, but he’s getting there.”

  Erolith nodded. “Would you both excuse us?”

  “Of course.” They gathered some papers and left the room through a side door.

  “Come, sit.” He motioned to a chair at the table and she couldn’t help but be relieved by the offer. He waited until she sat to say anything more. “What is it that troubles you?”

  “If Rogath fails, you know I’ll have to go after him, right?”

  “And you fear Linithion will go with you.”

  “No. I fear she’ll go without me. Or that my physical state and lack of knowledge will impair me from being able to keep her safe.”

  “I see.” He sat in contemplative silence, his gaze roving the runes carved into the walls. “I know I cannot stop her from leaving, so you’ll have to go with her. Do you think she would accept Starling and Loboran’s help if I had them return? I believe they just left this morning. They are both skilled in Fenari magic and they seem to have taken a liking to the two of you.”

  Zelia thought of the Elven males, of their home and how they’d doted on and teased Linithion. How they’d raced to get Zelia help when Xander attacked her with blood magic. She already owed the pair from before, but Linithion might accept their help if they insisted. There was just something about them that was oddly familiar.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  “So, what else is on your mind?”

  “The people Yargo is going to send are not going to be taken seriously by the Dwarves, are they?”

  “No, and the humans are unlikely to be much better.”

  “How long will it take Loboran and Starling to get here? I’ll ride down and talk to Prince Connan, I just can’t ride Raven that long on my own right now.”

  “They should be back by the time you’re done working with Donavain.” He gave a pointed look at her legs, as though to tell her not to argue. “His office is in the next building. Do you need help getting over there?”

  “Uh… maybe.”

  Erolith went to the double doors and opened it. “Varian, would you take Zelia to Donavain?”

  “Of course.”

  The Elven guard scooped her up, and when they left the warded room, Zelia felt for her connection to Raven. To see if she was busy.

  “What is it?” Raven asked, her tone smoothed over with curiosity.

  “Would you be willing to take me and an Elf to speak with Prince Connan?”

  “The one that tried to kill Orvi?”

  “Yes. I need to convince him to have his people make rune weapons for as many people as they can.”

  “Do I have to be nice?”

  “Uh. Yes,” Zelia thought and then with a bit of amusement added, “but if he is an ass, you may singe his beard.”

  “Hm. Fine. When are we going?”

  “This evening, if I can still stand.”

  “I’m assuming that Linithion will be staying with Orvi?”

  “She doesn’t know yet, but yes.” Varian pushed a door open and set her down without a word to the shorthaired Elf across the room. “We can discuss details later,” Zelia said through her bond and turned her attention to Donavain.

  “Come sit,” Donavain said without turning to face her. “I’m not familiar with changing bodies, but I’ve helped Elves rebuild muscle after an injury put them out for a while.”

  “Thankfully changing bodies doesn’t happen every day.” Zelia sat on the bench beside him. “Yalif has been having me drink pernion juice, but we didn’t get past basic stretches and movements before I had to leave.”

  “Erolith mentioned the pernion juice. While it will help you rebuild faster, it also means you’ll have less time to train the muscles. We’ll start with leg stretches since you’re stiff.”

  By the time they were finished she was exhausted and had no idea how long they had been at it. He had made her eat a lunch of bananas and eggs it seemed like ages ago. Her stomach growled and she was relieved that while she was exhausted, her legs didn’t scream in protest as she walked to the dining hall. It turned out that while Elven magic couldn’t heal her, it could relax her muscles.

  Rogath and Linithion took their seats as she entered the dining hall. As they ate, Zelia was pleasantly surprised it didn’t feel awkward to use a spoon, thanks to Donavain working with her on retraining her hands how to properly grip things.

  “How are things going?” Zelia asked.

  Rogath shrugged. “Erolith said I’m as ready as I’m going to get before I have to leave.”

  “Actually, he said that you are the fastest learner he had ever seen.”

  “I already knew all the runes and spells, so it doesn’t really count.”

  “You can make your energy fight a second version of your energy, and you couldn’t even see energy this morning.”

  Zelia couldn’t help but smile as a memory of Rogath using mist to trick Terik during sword practice came to mind. “Who knew all those pranks you pulled would turn out to be training.”

  “Good evening,” someone said from just behind her and Zelia instantly recognized Starling’s sing song voice. “May we join you?”

  “Of course.” Linithion gestured to the seats across from them, beside Rogath.

  “Why thank you, Princess,” Loboran said.

  Linithion rolled her eyes. “Both of you may just call me Linithion.”

  “Now what fun would that be?” Starling asked, then turned to Zelia. “I hear you would like one of us to go with you to speak with Connan.”

  “What?” Linithion looked between the two of them. “When?”

  “This evening.” Z
elia made her tone soft to sooth the worry and surprise in Linithion’s tone. “I’m not waiting for Yargo to tell me he can’t convince them. We don’t have time to waste.”

  “But I still have stuff to teach Rogath before he goes in the morning.”

  “I know. That’s why Loboran is going with me.”

  “Zelia is right.” King Erolith took his seat at the head of the table. “The sooner this is done the sooner the Dwarves and humans will be able to defend themselves to some extent. We cannot protect everyone on our own.”

  “Besides, you need to stay here with Orvi. She’ll need you nearby while Raven is with me.”

  Linithion sighed and took Zelia’s hand. “Just promise me you’ll be careful and not push yourself too hard.”

  “Why do you think I’m taking Loboran? I think he can keep me in line, what do you think Starling?”

  “Me? Oh. Well, he keeps me in line, most of the time.”

  Loboran laughed. “Like I can get you to do anything you don’t want to? But yes, Linithion, I will have Zelia’s back.”

  “Good. You may want to braid your hair before you go, dragon riding does a number on long hair,” Linithion said.

  “Speaking of that, I need you to braid my hair. I may be able to hold a spoon better now, but braiding is out of the question for the moment.”

  8

  Later that evening they stood in their room, Linithion’s fingers trailing through Zelia’s hair as she plaited it back in a long braid. They were quiet as Zelia worked on the ties of her armor. When the last tie was done and her hair was braided, Zelia ran her fingers through the silky length of Linithion’s hair. Zelia loved the way it slid through her fingers as though it were the tendrils of a winter breeze.

  “Please don’t do anything to upset Erolith while I’m gone.”

  “I’ll wait for you to come back for that.” Linithion gave Zelia a mischievous grin that set her stomach alight with butterflies.

  “Careful, we still need his help. We can’t run off together just yet.”

  “Who said anything about running off? A good leader never runs, they make tactical retreats.”

  “Mhm. Well, just make sure Rogath is as prepared as he can be for me.”

  “And you keep in mind that you’ll be asking to speak with Connan late in the evening, when Dwarves seldom do business.”

  “Yeah, well, he owes me after he tried to kill Orvi. He’ll meet with me. I’ll drag his butt out of bed if I have to.”

  “Just remember, my Father did not send you. He refused to help Connan and his people when they were in need, so he may lash out at Loboran.”

  “Why didn’t he help?”

  “I don’t know. I was with Auntie Eleanor when all that happened, or I would have tried to talk him into helping them.”

  “Hey. Neither of us can fix the past or what others have done.” Zelia wrapped Linithion in a hug and breathed in her pinewood scent. When she leaned back, Linithion gave her a peck on the forehead, her hair tickling Zelia’s cheeks.

  “Now get going before I decide you have to wait until morning.”

  They stepped outside to find Raven sitting in the opening between buildings. Raven stared at Loboran, and Loboran stared at her. Both had their heads cocked to one side, as though debating what they thought of each other.

  “How long have they been doing that?” Linithion asked Rogath who waited for her on the path.

  “Uh. A few minutes.”

  “Raven?” Zelia asked.

  “I think he is scared of me.” Raven moved closer to Loboran and blew a soft stream of steam from her nostrils. “We can’t have that if he’s going to ride with you. Have him pet me.”

  “Loboran.” Zelia walked to Raven’s side. “She’s not going to hurt you. She wants you to pet her.”

  “She likes that?” Loboran tentatively ran a hand across the broad gap between her nostrils.

  “Not necessarily, but she wants you to be comfortable around her since you are about to ride with me for the next couple of hours and I’m going to need your support.”

  “Her scales are beautiful.”

  “And she can understand you, just like your owls do.”

  A vibration almost like the purr of a cat emanated from Raven and Loboran laughed. “Sorry Raven. So, are you ready to go?”

  “Just let me say bye to Rog.” Zelia spun on her heels and returned to where Rog and Linithion waited on the path. “In case I don’t make it back before you leave in the morning, try not to get yourself captured or killed. I’d really rather not start a full out war while trying to retrieve you.” Zelia pulled him into a hug and relished the ability to do so after not hearing from him for so long.

  “And you try not to burn Connan to a crisp when he ticks you off,” Rogath said.

  “No worries, Raven already called dibs on that.”

  Rogath laughed as he leaned back from her hug. “Like that’ll make it any better. Oh yeah, this is the portal Tregar is sending Yalif’s stuff to you in.” He pushed a loose feeling of a portal down their bond, it was a cool weightlessness. The differences between portals weren’t something either of them could describe outside the atmosphere inside them and a vague feeling. “Go on. I have training to get back to before I can get some sleep.”

  Zelia nodded to Linithion and before she could turn Linithion leapt forward and gave her a kiss. It wasn’t one of the quick kisses they usually shared. Rather it was a searing kiss that stole Zelia’s breath away as Linithion pulled her closer. A throat cleared across the field, and they cut short to find that Erolith glaring at them.

  “Don’t let his opinion bother you,” Linithion whispered. “He’ll get over it eventually. Now get going.”

  Linithion gave her a little nudge and Zelia made a beeline for Loboran and Raven, the warm touch of Linithion’s kiss still lingering on her lips. They’d never kissed like that before, and Linithion had just done it in front of her father, the one being who wanted to rip them apart the most. She was torn between wanting to etch that kiss into her memory and wanting to wash it and Erolith’s gaze from her thoughts.

  “Perfect timing,” Loboran teased as he helped her onto Raven.

  “Let’s just get going.”

  Zelia pulled her cloak tight as Loboran climbed on behind her.

  “You know, at some point we should have a harness made to make it easier for you to stay on.”

  “And why don’t the dragon riders have harnesses?”

  “Oh they tried once, but not on a dragon they were bonded with, and they only have so much sheepskin.”

  “And you’re just now mentioning this to me, why?”

  “It just came to mind. Now hold on.”

  Zelia leaned forward and guided Loboran’s hands to hold onto the small ridge on the back of Raven’s neck in front of her. “Um, you do most of the holding on with your legs,” Zelia said and then Raven made a running leap into the air.

  She flapped her wings until they were above the treetops.

  “We’re headed to the set of three mountain peaks in the south, but we should fly a little higher in case the Darkans spot us.”

  “Alright. Um, let Loboran know he doesn’t have to hold on quiet so tight. I’m not going to do anything to make him fall off.”

  Zelia felt the tension in Loboran’s arms relax as she translated for him.

  “Sorry. First time flying. Is Raven always this warm?”

  “No. She can use fire or ice. She’s just trying to keep us from freezing on the way there.”

  She could feel Loboran nod and then he was silent. Zelia’s thoughts turned to Linithion’s kiss and Erolith’s piercing gaze. “Do you think Erolith will ever accept us?”

  “Starling and I have been together for six hundred years and he still disapproves of us, but he adores Linithion so he may for both of your sakes.”

  “How did you and Starling meet?” Zelia asked.

  “Hm. We were young, maybe four hundred. We had been paired up as sp
arring partners.”

  “When did you realize you were soulmates?”

  “That first sparring session. Starling lost his sword and darted in close, grabbing my sword hand. He was about to pull his dagger from his belt when we both froze. We received quite the tongue lashing for faltering, especially since neither of us would admit why we froze. We tried to deny the connection for the next few years as they continued to pair us against each other.” Loboran chuckled. “True soulmates have a connection that cannot be faked, but it is different for everyone. Starling and I can predict each other’s moves. Together we pushed ourselves until none of the other trainees could beat us. Even after all these years we still practice most days, it’s more like dancing to us than training.”

  “So, how about you?” Loboran asked.

  Zelia thought back to the first time she had seen her. Linithion’s silky white hair floated around her face in the freezing water of the lake, her eyes shut as though asleep as her legs laid pinned beneath a fallen tree. Someone had grabbed Zelia’s shoulder to pull her from the water as she forced ice to push the tree up and she struggled to grasp Linithion’s hand. She had barely pulled Linithion free before the ice cracked and dropped the tree. The Elf who had pulled her from the water dropped her and scrambled to tend to Linithion.

  “I saved her from drowning. She knew we were soulmates from that moment, but I… I was too broken to see it at the time.” Zelia traced a hand over Raven’s scales, following the interlocking pattern. “Eleanor ripped through my mind shortly afterwards and I nearly killed myself trying to run from the memories of the cave. Linithion found me in the snow, my heart wasn’t beating right… she shocked me to reset it. She kissed me after that, and I ran from her.”

  Zelia sat in silence for a few, reliving that moment when Linithion had told her she was her soulmate. She relived that kiss and the fear that had taken hold of her.