Flight of the Phoenix

by Alicia Michaels

  “It is not your shoulder that concerns me,” he argued. “The poison had coursed its way through your entire body by the time we managed to find a healer strong enough to stop it. You were so weak, you couldn’t stand on your own two feet. Now that it’s been purged, your entire body is need of rest.”

  Pulling away from him, she held both arms out to her sides and gestured toward herself. “I’m fine. Fit as ever. The wound is completely healed and I’m not weak anymore. I’ve never felt stronger.”

  “Your healer said—”

  “I don’t care what they said,” she retorted. “I know my own mind, and my own body. I’m going nuts in bed all day, Eli. There isn’t time for that, anyway. Adrah, my dad, and Uncle Wil are probably in there right now planning our next step. I need to be in there, and it won’t hurt me to just sit in on a conversation.”

  Eli rolled his eyes at her. “We both know you won’t just listen in. You’ll offer your input on what should be done next, before volunteering to execute whatever plan is thought up.”

  “What’s so bad about that?” she challenged.

  “You aren’t ready,” he retorted.

  “Stop trying to control my every move!” she spat.

  She didn’t want to act like a total bitch to her mate, but days of being cooped up inside had made her stir crazy.

  “You almost died in my arms!” he insisted, his voice rising a bit as he took a step closer to her.

  Jocylene fell silent, her breath catching in her throat at the raw agony she found in Eli’s stare.

  Heaving a deep sigh, he ran a hand over his bearded jaw. “I spent days trying to find you. Each hour that passed, I felt more and more hopeless. I knew you’d been bitten, and I needed to get you to a Fae Healer. I kept telling myself that if you died, it would be my fault because I’m your mate, and it is my job to protect you.”

  “Eli,” she whispered, “none of what happened was your fault.”

  He shook his head and continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “I found you on the border of Zenun. You were out of your mind and mumbling things I couldn’t understand. When I touched your skin, you were burning up with fever. Reaching for you with our bond, I felt the most tremendous pain ... you were in agony, Joss. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or felt. I picked you up and got you back here as fast as I could, but the thought struck me that you could die any second and there was nothing I could do to help you.”

  Reaching out for him, she took his face in her hands. “It’s over now. I survived, and we’re together again. It’s over, Eli.”

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held on tight, as if afraid she could slip through his fingers any second and evaporate into air.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I do not mean to be domineering, but I’ve never been more afraid in my life than when I thought I might lose you.”

  Giving him a smile, she leaned forward and kissed him, short and sweet. “I felt the same way when Kalodan tricked me into thinking he had killed you. But we are at war right now, Eli, and I am a warrior as well as a princess. I cannot let Fallada down.”

  “My brave little rose,” he replied. “I admire your courage, and your dedication to this fight. Just promise me that you will listen to your body. Rest often and don’t try to take on too much too quickly.”

  “Okay,” she relented. “As long as you don’t try to stand in my way when the time comes for me to do my part. I’d much rather have you beside me, anyway.”

  Resting his forehead against hers, he grinned, and she felt at ease. Eli’s smile was like the sun breaking out from behind dark clouds. He might grumble and growl like the Panther Shifter he was, but at the heart of it all, he only wanted what was best for her. They kissed, and Eli backed her toward the wall, pressing her against it.

  Even though they were in plain sight of anyone who might happen to walk by, she found it easy to forget that with him nibbling hungrily at her lips. She whimpered, sinking into him and running her hands down the bulges of his arms, bared by the black tunic he wore. She traced his tattoos, the black lines inked into the skin of his human form. A low rumble sounded in his chest, his animal side reacting with primal satisfaction.

  Pulling away from him, she met his gaze, her pulse racing and her cheeks flushed. “I’m starting to think going back to bed might be a good idea.”

  “I thought you wanted to see what might be going on inside the throne room,” he reminded her, even while bending down to kiss her neck.

  Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the wall. “Whatever. Dad can give me the bullet points later.”

  Before Eli could reply, the sound of a throat being cleared caused Jocylene to stiffen. Her neck flushed and she was sure she blushed with embarrassment at being caught making out with her mate in a hallway. Eli always did know how to make her go all stupid in the head.

  Her eyes widened when her mate pulled away, allowing her to see who had stumbled upon them.

  He looked as hard and implacable as ever—perhaps even more so. His green eyes pierced her with a bold stare, going dark to fit his ever-changing mood. Sometimes, she knew, they could turn to a shade like mint, with silvery undertones. When he found himself in a good mood—which wasn’t often—they were the color of new blades of spring green grass. A white shirt hung unbuttoned at the top to reveal the silver coin he always wore against his chest, hanging from a bit of leather cord. His hair had grown a bit, the blond strands forever in a tangle of rogue waves.

  “Rothatin,” she managed, wincing to find that her voice had come out squeaky and raspy.

  Inclining his head, he gave her a stiff bow. “Princess. I do hate to interrupt, but you’re blocking the door.”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, unable to help that her question came out sounding more like an accusation.

  Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose, but every time the Fae general appeared back in her life, it spelled trouble—usually between herself and her mate. He’d gone to the human world with Phaedra and Selena. If he was back, then perhaps the mission there had been completed.

  Rothatin cast a glance at her mate. “You did not tell her?”

  Looking at Eli, she frowned. He was avoiding her gaze.

  What is he talking about? she asked him, reaching through their mate’s bond to speak to him without words.

  Acting as if he hadn’t heard her, Eli cleared his throat and addressed Rothatin, “She’s been in bed, recovering. I haven’t had the opportunity.”

  Wrinkling her brow, she glanced back and forth between the two men. “Tell me what? What’s going on? Is everything okay with Selena and Phaedra? Oh, my God, is it the baby?”

  Selena had become pregnant not long after marrying Titus, her mate. It was far too soon for her to have given birth.

  “Everyone is fine,” Rothatin assured her. “They remain in the Earth realm, and both Selena and her babe are healthy. We learned that she will have a male child.”

  She smiled, happy for Titus. While she knew he would have been happy with a girl, a male heir was needed. Since the death of his father, Titus had taken on the role of Alpha of the Awcan wolf pack of Mollac. He needed a son to become Alpha after he was gone.

  “That’s good,” she replied. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here, instead of there with them.”

  Glancing back at Eli, Rothatin raised one eyebrow. Eli glared at him, then shifted his gaze back to her.

  “When you were bitten, we tried everything,” he said. “Goldun’s most powerful healers worked day and night to cure you, but the poison had progressed too far. None of them could withstand it. So, I went to the Earth realm to find the one person I knew could save you.”

  Following his gaze back to Rothatin, she felt her eyes go wide and her mouth fall open.

  “You?” she whispered. “You healed me?”

  Jocylene remembered very little after Kalodan had released her from his prison, certain she would die from the poison coursing throu
gh her body. Sometimes, she dreamt of Eli taking her to a beautiful place—a place filled with trees and the vital earth her soul seemed to crave. Beneath an enormous tree, he had sat with her and held her while she fought to live, telling her how much he loved her. The memory came back to her in pieces, but she could recall feeling more loved than she ever had in her life.

  Eli hadn’t mentioned the moment to her, but his concern had been making sure she was well. There hadn’t been much time to speak of what had happened before she’d woken up in her bed in Goldun. Had Rothatin also been there, and she just couldn’t remember it? Thinking of him being nearby during such a moment made her uncomfortable.

  “I did,” Rothatin confirmed.

  He watched her closely, as if waiting for her to say something.

  Clearing her throat, she forced a smile. “Then I owe you my gratitude,” she said. “Thank you.”

  His expression shifted ever so slightly. She’d known him long enough to recognize his subtle facial cues—inscrutable as they might seem to others. Her words disappointed him, but for the life of her, she could not figure out why. What else did he want her to say?

  “There are no thanks needed,” he replied, his voice remaining even and emotionless. “It is my duty to do my part to ensure the welfare of Fallada’s princesses.”

  Eli remained silent, his gaze shuttered. Jocylene shifted, toying with the hem of her tunic as she fought not to run away from the awkward situation. She and Rothatin had only shared a solitary kiss. He had practically thrown her in Eli’s direction before dumping her like a bad habit.

  No, that wasn’t entirely true. He hadn’t dumped her, because they’d never really been a thing. They’d never been a thing, because he wouldn’t allow it to happen. Knowing that there had been an attraction between them, her mate disliked Rothatin immensely, and often acted jealous, even though Jocylene had chosen him. She hated moments like this, when she was reminded of their past. Would they ever stop being so damn awkward?

  “Yes, well,” Rothatin said, clearing his throat again. “Queen Adrah, your father, and uncle are inside for a meeting. I assume you’re going inside?”

  Realizing the three of them still stood there looking at each other like a trio of idiots, she leapt into action.

  “Yes, we were just about to go inside.”

  Rothatin reached passed her to open the door before her hand could touch it, then gestured for her and Eli to precede him inside. “By all means, let us not keep them waiting any longer.”

  He needed to stop staring at her. Rothatin hadn’t seen Jocylene face-to-face since the night he’d healed her. Eli had come to the human world to find him, begging him to return to Fallada and heal Jocylene. Even though the Panther Shifter hated him, he’d swallowed his pride for the sake of his mate. Regardless of knowing a confrontation with Queen Eranna loomed on the horizon, he’d left the fight in the hands of his travel companions, trusting Selena, Gretchen, and Phaedra to handle the threat. His only concern had been Jocylene. Her death would spell the end of the fight against Eranna, as well as the doom of Fallada.

  But that wasn’t why he’d save her.

  Jocylene’s death would have been the end of him. Even though he’d only rescued her to deliver back into the arms of another male, Rothatin had no regrets. To see her sitting across from him, her skin glowing and her eyes sparking with the fire he knew lived inside of her, made it all worth it. It did not matter that she didn’t love him, and likely never would. Nor did it matter that she belonged to someone else. He loved her, and if being with Eli made her happy, he would stand aside and accept it.

  He hadn’t been willing before, certain she had only chosen Eli because he’d rejected her. Yet, once he had taken her away to the woods of Fallada, laying her beneath the tree to heal her wounds, he had taken the opportunity to ensure she’d known he loved her. If she was going to die, he’d wanted her to know the truth. Yet, in the delirium brought on by Werewolf venom, she’d looked at him and seen her mate’s face, confusing him for Eli. The love in her eyes had been unmistakable, slicing into Rothatin’s heart like the sharpest of daggers.

  It had been what he needed to finally let her go. He had often been accused of arrogance, and wasn’t stupid enough to deny it. Yes, he was an arrogant male, but that moment with Jocylene had brought him humility. The time had come for him to move forward with his life. This war with Eranna had reached its peak, and soon it would end once and for all. In the aftermath, he would have nothing to call his own—unless he did something about it, starting now.

  Blinking, he snapped back to attention, focusing on the meeting that had just begun in Adrah’s throne room. They sat at a small table out on the balcony—Adrah, Wil and Jacob Grimm, Eli, and Jocylene.

  “Princess Jocylene,” Adrah was saying as he forced himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. “It is good to see you so soon after your harrowing incident. You look well.”

  “I feel better than ever,” Jocylene replied with a smile. “Ready to get back into the fight.”

  “Much has happened in the weeks since we sent part of our group to the Earth realm,” Adrah continued. “I’d like to take the time to bring everyone up to speed. First, I am happy to inform you all that Selena, Gretchen, Phaedra, Arrian, and Titus have succeeded in thwarting Eranna in her plans to take over New York City. While it would have been a small foothold for her, control over so many people would have inevitably spread like wildfire.”

  Rothatin nodded. “Princess Brione—who prefers to be called Gretchen—is strong and capable. I knew she could be trusted to carry out her part of the prophecy while I returned to heal Jocylene.”

  “Our girls are strong and courageous,” Jacob Grimm agreed, beaming with pride at his daughter, reaching out to take her hand. “Well done of them.”

  “Does this mean Eranna is finished for good?” Eli asked. “You said she was thwarted, but not that she has been killed. What should we expect from her now?”

  “The dark queen was dealt quite a blow,” Adrah answered. “Gretchen’s power over lightning, combined with a tidal wave from Phaedra, have rendered her weak. Not powerless, but nowhere near as mighty as before.”

  “That is wonderful news!” boomed Wil Grimm with a wide grin. “She is no longer a match for our girls.”

  “Perhaps not,” Adrah hedged, her blonde eyebrows furrowed over silvery-green eyes. “However, I would not be so quick to consider her defeated just yet. She will not take this defeat lying down. Even now, she has begun working to restore her power to its former might. Before long, she will be as formidable as ever.”

  Jocylene frowned. “How does she rebuild her power?”

  Adrah hesitated, glancing down at the table. The others cleared their throats, seeming uncomfortable answering Jocylene’s question. So, Rothatin did what he was known for—responded with bluntness and candor.

  “She drains the souls of young, beautiful women,” he stated matter-of-factly. “It feeds her natural abilities and heightens them.”

  Jocylene gasped, clapping on hand over her open mouth. She looked away from him as if he were as distasteful to her as the news she’d delivered.

  “We can’t let her do that,” she whispered.

  “No,” Adrah agreed, “we cannot. However, there is more to be discussed before a plan is laid out. More developments will affect this one, to be sure. You must have the entire scope of this before we act.”

  “I assume one of the new developments involves Kalodan,” Jocylene said, a predatory gleam creeping into her eyes at the mention of Rothatin’s younger brother.

  Banished from Goldun by Rothatin for dabbling in black magic, Kalodan had become the leader of the Dark Fae army, which had pledged its allegiance to Eranna. He was also Eranna’s lover—which meant she trusted him to act in her stead. After taking Zenun and holding it captive, she had left Kalodan upon her throne, to act out her dark agenda while she spread her reach to the human realm.

  “After taking you and you
r sister captive, Kalodan proceeded to engage in the darkest of magic arts,” Adrah informed them, her voice taking on an ominous tone. “Blood magic.”

  Rothatin’s blood ran cold, and as he exchanged glances with the others seated at the table, he found the same terror in their eyes that he experienced. The Fae general was not a man who scared easily, but nothing could send a chill down his spine like the implications of blood magic.

  Jocylene—the only person at the table with no notion of what it entailed—scowled. “Would someone care to tell me what blood magic is, and why we care? If he still has Desdemona, then our priority is getting her back. Right?”

  “Kalodan no longer has the Phoenix,” Adrah replied. “He does not have her anymore, because he killed her ... slitting her throat and draining her blood.”

  Across from him, Jocylene gasped, tears filling her eyes. “Desdemona is dead?”

  “Phoenixes always rise from the ashes of their death,” Eli reminded her, reaching out to take her hand and calm her. “She will not stay dead very long.”

  “She has already risen,” Adrah confirmed, giving Jocylene a reassuring smile. “After killing her, Kalodan had his servants burn her remains and bury them on the border of Mollac. From there she rose again and took flight, heading straight for Semran Hall.”

  Rothatin rose his eyebrows at this, surprised by this development most of all. “She has taken her mother’s castle.”

  Adrah’s lips curved into a soft smile. “She has. Just this morning, Princess Desdemona cleared the castle of Eranna’s followers and freed its prisoners. Denouncing her mother’s hold on Mollac, she has named herself queen and now begins her reign.”

  Smiling, Jocylene wiped her tears away. “That’s my sister. I knew she would come around someday.”

  “We must have a care not to attempt to push her into doing too much too fast,” Wil chimed in. “When we last spoke with Princess Desdemona, she was convinced Queen Adrah meant to use her in the same way her mother has. Like a true Phoenix, she wrestles with her emotions, letting them swing her from one extreme to the next.”