Fire's Embrace [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 6] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  “I would stay here if I could,” she said suddenly, “but the priesthood is getting more and more anxious. Not to mention that your father needs me there.”

  “What will you do?” Sari asked her. “Will you tell the priestesses about what happened?”

  Eanera sighed. “It’s only fair. Besides, I can’t exactly hide it.”

  Sari understood what she meant. While his mother had regained her youth and seemed to have some of her powers back, she wasn’t the same woman she had once been. The gem in the center of her forehead hadn’t reappeared. At first, she’d had trouble accepting it, and it was, indeed, problematic, given that the entire situation would put Eanera’s position as High Priestess in jeopardy. However, the day before, she had confessed to Sari that she’d made her peace with it.

  “I think that if it is Jenarra’s will that I get my abilities restored, it will happen,” she told him now. “If not…well, to tell you the truth, I have many things to focus on that aren’t my duties as High Priestess.”

  Sari shot her a surprised look. “Truly? Like what?”

  “Well, don’t share this with anyone, but Selbrian has been discussing the possibility of undoing his marriage with Onyerre.” She actually blushed a little. “As you know, it’s never really been done before, but the circumstances make Selbrian believe that it could be possible. Understand, it’s very complicated, given that he has three children with her and it’s still somewhat uncertain as to what exactly she did willingly and what she was pushed into by the Ancient Horror. Selbrian is hoping for a quiet divorce and a light sentence. And if that happens…well, he asked me to marry him.”

  Sari almost couldn’t believe his ears. He had been waiting and hoping for something like this all his life and now that it was finally happening, it was hard to acknowledge that it was true. Nevertheless, he knew that his mother would never joke about something like this.

  “I’m so happy for you,” he said with a bright smile. If there was anyone who deserved to have a real mate bond, it was his mother. And to think that, for so long he’d actually thought that his parents didn’t truly love each other. He should have known better.

  “You couldn’t have figured it out on your own,” Karein pointed out through their bond. “Now stop thinking about the past, and focus on the present.”

  Karein was right. They were seriously lucky in that, even with everything that had happened, they’d managed to get safely out of the entire predicament. Sari hadn’t had any other strange visions, and their lives in Draechenburg had settled into a peaceful routine. Sari had actually started to grow a little closer to Phoenix, much to Rachen’s delight. Phoenix himself had seemed wary of Sari at first, something which Sari blamed on jealousy, but now, they’d figured out that both of them pretty much wanted nothing more than to be with their respective mates. In the end, the two of them had a lot in common, far more than Sari had originally expected.

  True enough, Sari still held a degree of resentment for Phoenix. He couldn’t forget what had happened with his mother just like that. But they were both trying, and that was what mattered. Caelyn was helping, and Sari had long talks with his best friend regarding the entire situation.

  As if guessing his thoughts, his mother suddenly gave him a serious look. “Look, Sari, there’s something else I want to tell you. I know I have to go because I’m needed in Rose Noire, but I’m very worried about you.”

  “Worried?” Sari repeated inquiringly.

  “I want you to know something,” she said. “This isn’t over. I can’t help but feel that Phoenix is still dangerous. I’d like you to come with me to Rose Noire with me. Karein can join us.”

  Sari couldn’t believe his ears. This was the first time his mother was mentioning this since that day when Phoenix had returned her youth. “I don’t understand…Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

  “Because I’m not sure of my own powers, Sari,” Eanera replied. “Before, my visions used to be dead-on, but now, all I have to go on is this gut feeling. Not to mention that I fear that my unique knowledge of the extent of his power might be tainting my perspective. He’s a good man, and he loves Prince Rachen. I’m sure of that. And yet…” She shook her head, as if she herself didn’t know what to say. “I was hoping that I’d get something clearer that would help me figure out exactly what is unsettling me, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

  Sari trusted his mother even when she didn’t trust herself. He knew that if she thought Phoenix was dangerous, it was probably true. However, this had been no secret. Karein had seen what Phoenix could do, the way he’d been able to torch an entire forest and restore it with a thought. He’d managed to injure Karein and Eanera even before he’d gained control of his abilities. Even so, this time around, Sari had to have a little faith in Phoenix, too, if not for Phoenix himself, for Karein and Rachen.

  “I know, Mother,” he replied, “but I can’t go. Rachen needs Karein’s support. He’s family. Besides, Phoenix is only now getting accustomed to Draechenburg, and I’m trying to be as welcoming as possible, given the circumstances. It’s not easy, but he’s been through a lot, and we have to help.”

  Eanera sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. In your place, I’d have probably done the same. Very well, Sari. I’ll briefly visit your father and see what’s going on in Rose Noire and come back here as soon as possible. In the meantime, be very careful.”

  Sari nodded and hugged his mother one more time. “And you,” he said simply.

  They got up and left Eanera’s quarters together. Karein was waiting outside, his expression carefully blank. It wasn’t really necessary, since it wasn’t a secret that Karein knew most everything Sari did.

  Indeed, Eanera chose to address it, instead of allowing them to drift into awkward silence. “I meant no offense to your twin or his mate,” she said. “I only want what’s best for Sari.”

  “I understand that,” Karein replied. “Believe me, I will protect him with my life. Sari and our son are everything to me.”

  Sari had a flash of his vision and the way Karein had moved away from him. He took Karein’s hand and squeezed it. He was being silly. His mother’s words had just shaken him more than he’d have liked to admit. For all he knew, their future had changed when Rachen had mated Phoenix. Although…He couldn’t really remember…Had Rachen called his lover by his name in the vision? Sari had identified Phoenix as Alwyn back then, but what if…

  It occurred to Sari that Rachen’s hair had been red in the vision. He hadn’t thought about it until now, hadn’t considered that such simple information could be important. But Rachen’s fire dragon had become stronger after mating Phoenix. If Sari was remembering correctly, it meant that the vision had anticipated Rachen and Phoenix ending up together.

  Karein wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him tightly. “Breathe, baby. Nothing’s changed. You just have a different perspective. You know me. I’m never going to leave you. You know Phoenix. He doesn’t have some sort of grand master plan to destroy our happiness. You know Taryn and Graham. They’d never abandon their mates.”

  He was right, of course, and his words were confirmed when they ran straight into Phoenix and Rachen. “Oh, hello, High Priestess,” Phoenix said. “I just wanted to wish you a nice trip and grant you a small token of my friendship.” He smiled, looking a little embarrassed. “I realize that, in many ways, you’re still very wary of me, and you’re probably correct. But I need you to know that I love the Tersain. They’re my family, and I will never harm them.”

  Without further ado, he offered Eanera a small box. Eanera blinked in surprise, but took the item. “I thank you, but this truly wasn’t necessary. There’s nothing that…”

  Her words trailed off when she opened the box. Inside it, one sole feather lay, still burning. “I willed the feather not to melt the box,” Phoenix explained, “and since the feather is my gift to you, you’re the only one who can use it. It carries my energy, in a smaller dose. T
herefore, if you at any time touch it, I will know you need help and I will come to your assistance.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say,” Eanera replied.

  Sari was touched, too. He had a feeling Phoenix didn’t just go around giving his feathers to random people. He probably still felt guilty about harming Sari’s mother, especially since her powers hadn’t fully returned. “We thank you,” he said to Phoenix. “Does the feather have any magic on its own?”

  Phoenix nodded. “It does, but you cannot command it. It is the magic of the earth, of the fires burning in its core, the magic I am made of. Should there come a time when it is needed, it will manifest on its own.”

  “A protective talisman of sorts,” Eanera said. Her smile was kind when she looked at Phoenix. “I’m truly touched. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to part with it.”

  Phoenix looked a little uncomfortable, and only began relaxing when Rachen wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “It’s true that I wasn’t sure. People have been using me for as long as I can remember. But I think that now, I have a new life. I no longer exist as a tool. This was my choice, and no one will ever force me to become a weapon for destruction again. If I was created out of power, I will use it for the benefit of the people I care about.”

  Something in Sari’s chest eased at Phoenix’s words. His eyes met Phoenix’s burning ones and he smiled slightly. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  He couldn’t always doubt and dwell on one vision that might not even be correct. Phoenix deserved a chance to prove that he truly meant what he said, just like Rachen deserved a mate who loved him. They couldn’t forever live in the shadow of a distant and confusing hallucination.

  Perhaps he was making a mistake in dismissing it. He’d been so convinced that the vision had come from Jenarra, and he still believed that. But he also felt that Jenarra wanted him to stand up for what he believed in and to support the people he cared about. That was what Sari aimed to do, to hope and trust in a better future.For humans, the phoenix meant rebirth. Well, maybe this time around, humans had the right idea.

  They led Sari’s mother to the cliffside, where her plane was already waiting. Eventually, the rest of the Tersain joined them as well. “We eagerly await your next visit,” Hareem said.

  “Well, you might not have to wait for too long,” Eanera replied. “Once I handle the issues that summon me back to Rose Noire, I have to return to Sari to be with him throughout his pregnancy.”

  Distantly, Sari wondered if she was still concerned, or if her worries stemmed from more than just Phoenix’s presence. Either way, he couldn’t exactly ask her, since the time for her departure had arrived.

  A few hugs later, Eanera was boarding the plane, looking like that was the last thing she wanted to do. From the doorway of the plane, she took one last look at Sari. Her grip on the gift box was so tight her knuckles went white.

  Sari waved at her and smiled. Tears gathered at the corner of Eanera’s eyes. “I love you, Sari,” she mouthed.

  “I love you, too,” Sari replied.

  As the jet doors closed, Sari wondered why those words felt so much like good-bye. He wondered just what his mother knew that she wasn’t saying and why she’d left anyway. He had a feeling that once he found out the answer to these questions, he wouldn’t like it.

  * * * *

  That evening

  The dining room was crowded with various members of the Tersain family. Clustered all around the table, they ate, occasionally exchanging comments.

  Rachen sat next to his mate, almost unable to believe that this was possible. A few weeks back, he’d wanted it so badly for himself and his mate. He’d wanted everyone to love and understand Phoenix at least half of what Rachen did. And now, finally, things seemed to be heading in the right direction.

  “They’re great people,” Phoenix said through their bond. “I don’t know if I would have been so welcoming in their place.”

  Rachen shot his mate a besotted smile. “I don’t know how welcoming they’ve been, but they’re not blind. They see how amazing you are.”

  Phoenix shook his head, chuckling. “You’re just biased,” he said as he took a sip of wine.

  Across from them, Karein and Sari were eating quietly, although Rachen knew they were likely communicating through their mate bond. Sari was a little sad that his mother had left, and Karein had been hovering and worrying ever since. Talrasar sat next to Sari, giving the younger fae space but also somehow managing to seem open and warm should Sari want to approach him.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, a conversation had started between Camden, his siblings, Taryn, and Graham. “I do think we can reach out to the other castes given time,” Taryn was saying. “It might not be right now, but eventually everyone will see that Hareem means well.”

  “We’ve spoken to some of the other rare shifters,” Arlen said, “and they’re not convinced just yet. The draechen haven’t proven to be very trustworthy in the past. Sure, we know that’s changed now, but they’re not as close to the situation as we are.”

  That comment meant far more than Arlen probably realized. It pointed out a real change in the policy of the naga toward Draechenburg. Rachen was pleased to see it. In fact, the naga had surprised him in that they’d been quite open toward Phoenix and hadn’t automatically assigned him to the category of threat to be eliminated.

  “We know it’s not going to be easy,” Graham added, “but we won’t let that stop us. As soon as Caelyn gives birth, I’m going to find my pack and speak to some other friends of mine in the paranormal community. They’ll spread the word.”

  Caelyn smiled at Graham, although he didn’t speak. He had been pretty quiet, too, although he was likely just considering the message his family had sent him. Rachen had eventually remembered to convey it, but so far, Caelyn hadn’t made an official request to Karein or the other Imperial Consuls to allow his parents and siblings here.

  Phoenix glanced Caelyn’s way, tilting his head in an oddly birdlike gesture. “You should probably be getting ready then,” he said. “It feels like your child wants to come out already.”

  Silence fell over the dining room. “How do you know that?” Sari asked.

  “The energy around Caelyn is changing,” Phoenix replied calmly. “Am I wrong?”

  Caelyn shook his head. “No…I don’t think you are.”

  Suddenly, he looked very pale. Graham’s complexion went even pastier, and he shot to his feet. “Oh, gods, oh gods…We need a doctor. Get a doctor.”

  “Calm down, Graham,” Caelyn said. “I’m not the first person to have a…baby.”

  He grimaced as he paused, and Rachen could tell that he was probably starting to have contractions. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he suspected it was something his mate had subconsciously conveyed to him. With every day that passed, Phoenix amazed him more and more.

  Graham picked Caelyn up, his eyes wild with fright. “What do I do?” he asked, sounding lost.

  “Let’s get him to lie down,” Sari replied. “We’ll notify the doctors. Meanwhile, Talrasar and I will help you.”

  He walked to his friend’s side and took Caelyn’s hand. “How are you doing?”

  “Fine,” Caelyn replied, his voice trembling slightly. “A little scared.”

  “Don’t be,” Graham told him. “I’m right here, angel. I’m with you.”

  His voice suddenly grew stronger, as if he was forcing himself to be optimistic for Caelyn’s benefit. Rachen could understand it perfectly, since he was just as protective of Phoenix. He wished he could help, but he was no healer.

  “I might be able to lend a hand,” Phoenix told him. He bit his lip, obviously uncertain. “But a birth is something so delicate. I don’t want to unbalance it.”

  “Let’s just stay out of it,” Rachen advised his mate. The last thing he wanted was for something to go wrong and Phoenix to be blamed for it.

  “I’ll step in if Caelyn or the
baby is in danger,” Phoenix decided. “No sense in intervening until that point, right?”

  He didn’t sound very happy about it, and Rachen realized that Phoenix would have preferred to avoid any possible pain for the young sprite. Phoenix didn’t fully have all of his memories as Alwyn Cyraltin, but he did remember enough to know that Caelyn had never wanted him to get hurt. Not to mention that he often ended up mediating the occasional dispute between Phoenix and Sari.

  It was kind of telling that no one had asked for their help in the first place. Perhaps they still didn’t trust Phoenix, or maybe it was something entirely different. Either way, Rachen would have felt offended on his mate’s behalf, if not for the very clear knowledge that this moment was far more important than their individual sensibilities.

  And then, Caelyn did something that touched Rachen to the core. “Phoenix?” Caelyn asked softly. “Will you come with us? If something happens…”

  “Of course,” Phoenix replied automatically. “But don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. Your baby just wants to come out and meet his daddies.”

  It was really a relief that this was finally happening. Caelyn rarely showed it, but he’d started to get anxious as to the reasons why his baby was taking so long in showing up. Almost two months had passed since Taryn had given birth, leaving Caelyn puzzled regarding his own pregnancy. On several occasions, Phoenix and Sari had tried to point out that, given the hybrid nature of the infants, it was going to be different for everyone. Not to mention that Taryn’s baby had likely come earlier than he was supposed to because of less than pleasant circumstances. Nevertheless, it was still a good thing that the moment Caelyn and Graham had been waiting for had at last arrived.

  Graham carried Caelyn out of the room, and Phoenix and Rachen followed. At first, it seemed like they would be headed toward Graham and Caelyn’s quarters, but in the end, the werewolf decided against it. As Graham entered the closest empty chamber, Rachen stole a look his mate’s way and saw the smile on Phoenix’s face. Suddenly, Rachen truly felt like everything would be all right. At last, both he and Phoenix were part of a family, one who trusted and cared about them. Today might not be about them, and yet, it felt like such a landmark. Caelyn’s words had cleared up that final doubt in Rachen’s heart and mind, and it meant the world to him.