Phoenix Incandescent (Endeavor Series Book 1)

by A E M

  “I have to leave in the morning.” He kissed her forehead.

  “I know.” She traced the muscles of his chest. They were muscles that had flown her to the beach and fought the enemy. She wanted to always remember their warmth and strength. “Will I see you at the Alliance meeting, or before?”

  “I don’t know.” He ran his hands up and down her upper arms. “Alcott and Barnabas will take you to the Alliance meeting if I’m not here in time. I think Phoebe will go, too.”

  “Oh.” She leaned into him. “Can’t I go with you to your homelands until the meeting?”

  “No.”

  “But you will take me soon, right?” She stepped back and looked him in the eyes.

  “Yes.” He pulled her back into his arms. “I’m planning it. I’ll let you know when soon.”

  “Hmm.” Charlotte wrapped her arms around his waist. “I hope it’s soon. You keep putting me off when I talk about your home.”

  “You’re so impatient, Lottie.” He laughed. “If it’s not right now, then it doesn’t count to you.”

  She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her after a brief struggle with a kiss.

  “That’s not always going to work!” She scolded him when he finally released her. “In fact, that was your only shot!”

  “No quarrels between us tonight, Caramia.” He kissed her behind her ear, and her knees softened.

  “Fine.” She laughed. “But I have a good memory.”

  “I’m aware.” He grumbled, but it ended in a laugh.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you.” He twirled her again and then they tried to dance in the small space between chairs and desks in the library. Toes were stepped on. Furniture was bumped into. Finally, they collapsed into a fit of laughter on a rug.

  “Sing me the song again?” She whispered once they had quieted and she lay with her head on his chest listening to the strong beat of his heart.

  “Of course, Caramia.” He pulled her to her feet and sang it as they danced slowly throughout the library, starlight in the windows and love in their hearts.

  Epilogue

  The Source

  “What are you thinking sending her away, Isaac?” Audrey cried.

  Ebby paced furiously in front of the desk.

  Isaac sunk down into his chair. “It gives us some time.” He said.

  “Time for what?” Ebby snorted.

  “Time to make a plan.”

  (Six Weeks Earlier)

  Isaac, wind swept hair hanging in front of his glasses, inched his way across the ledge. He pressed his body against the flat sections of rock and gripped the rocks that jutted out. The waterfall roared and sprayed and crashed. His heart pounded furiously. He ignored it. He pressed his hand to the pocket of his pants and pressed in. The bag of dust was still there. He clutched at it, and his breath caught and he closed his eyes briefly. He had almost killed once, hundreds of years ago. Now he knew what it was to take a life. To take two lives. He put his shaking hand back on the rock and continued his path. Audrey was almost dead now. He had pulled some of her power to kill, and it had weakened her more. Finally, he slipped behind the waterfall and stepped onto the cold, hard ledge. He pulled his wand out from the leg of his pants. Light. The tip of his wand lit up. He crossed to the east wall and found the inscription. Open. The door slid back and over.

  Isaac followed the narrow pathway as it made its turns and twists and descents. Every now and then he would pause and put his hand carefully on the pocket of his waistcoat to check his wife. Finally, he reached the cavern. It was small with a waterfall on the west wall that fed into a pool. Isaac crouched down, reached into his pocket, and gently pulled his wife out. Her tiny chest rose and fell, but she didn’t open her eyes. He placed her on his palms and put his palms in the pool so the water mostly covered her.

  “Audrey.” He whispered. The water warmed his hands. He shifted her to one hand and gently stroked her body with the fingers of his other hand. She didn’t stir. He continued to stroke her gently, washing her with the water of the pool. Finally, she moved a leg and murmured something.

  “Darling.” He pressed her body to his lips and kissed her gently.

  “Darling.” Her eyelashes rose and fell.

  He cradled her in his hands and looked up at the cavern ceiling. Exhaustion and relief washed over him and he choked on a sob. He coughed and cleared his throat and looked back down.

  “Isaac.” Audrey turned her head to the side and swept her tiny hand across his palm. “You saved me.”

  “Quite the turnaround, don’t you think?” He adjusted his glasses. “How do you feel?” Isaac rubbed her back with his pinky finger.

  “Much better.” She hugged his finger. “How are you?”

  “I’m well.”

  “You are exhausted.” She raised her eyebrows and tapped her tiny foot against his palm.

  “You are tickling me.” He laughed in a breathy, tired way.

  Audrey ran up his hand and arm, jumped upon and ran across his glasses, and leaped into his thick hair. “I had forgotten about this part of you.” He confessed. “Maybe this is where Charlotte got it from.”

  “Oh, our dear daughter.” Audrey sat down in Isaac’s hair and rubbed his head. “I remember everything up until the chimeras and fighting for my life.” She pressed her lips together. “What have I missed?” She climbed down and sat onto his shoulder.

  He told her everything she had missed before and after the chimeras. They sat there quietly for a few moments afterwards. Outside it would be dark and colder now. Isaac wondered if he could risk sleeping here tonight. His shoulders slumped and he put his head in his hands. Audrey placed her hand on his shoulder. Isaac lifted his head. She was full size again; her power was replenished now.

  “You need rest.” She slowly ran her fingers through his hair. “And a bath. Did you bring your bag?”

  He nodded. “And I left a copy with Charlotte like we planned.”

  Audrey sighed. “This isn’t quite how we planned it, but it will have to work. It’s time.”

  Isaac nodded. “That it is.” He stretched and pulled his shirt off.

  “How many years has it been and I still blush?” Audrey whispered.

  Isaac hummed a laugh. “You stay out of the pool while I wash. I’m too old to father another child.”

  “You are far from too old.” Audrey argued, but she crossed her arms and crossed to the other side of the room. Now was not the time for babies. War was breaking on the horizon. She watched instead, and didn’t feel the least bit guilty that Isaac was covered in a blush by the time he was done washing.

  He nodded toward the pool as he dried off. “Your turn.”

  Her eyes widened and she giggled. “You held me in there earlier. I’ve already had my turn.”

  He smirked. “Then let’s call it my turn. Get undressed and get in.”

  “Isaac!”

  “Audrey.” He waved his hand. “Get in before I toss you in.”

  She huffed and tossed her clothing at him. She was blushing before she hit the water. Isaac’s stare was unwavering as he put up a protection spell in the room and unpacked bedding for them. She washed slowly, and dried off twice. He was waiting for her in the bed while she finished, his glasses tucked away on the bag and his head propped in his hand. She crawled into the blankets and tucked herself against him.

  “So tomorrow.” She traced her fingers across his arm.

  “Tomorrow we speak of tomorrow.” He tucked her in tighter against his chest. “Tonight I will hold you. Tonight we don’t need words.”

  With Special Thanks

  I want to extend my deepest gratitude to my earliest readers.

  Some of you found this book in its infancy, when it was rising out of the ashes. You saw the magic buried within and I thank you for that.

  Some of you found this book while I was undergoing my own transformation while I was transforming my series into what it is now. I
thank you for journeying with me.

  I want to thank my sunrise people. You know who you are. You inspired a special moment in this book.

  I want to thank my California girl for her insight and helpful critique of my first two books.

  I want to thank my Oklahoma girl for being my friend.

  I want to thank all my girls, no matter what part of the path we shared and even if we have lost touch. You rock.

  I want to thank my husband and children for sacrificing time and a picture of what we thought life would be like so that I might pursue a dream.

  I want to thank the circumstances that made this path hard. You kept knocking me down, and I kept getting back up. I am tougher, wiser, and both meaner and kinder because of you.

  I want to thank the people who helped along the path. I remember.

  I want to thank the main man. For his lecture. For his patience. For standing beside me even when I had lost my footing.

  I want to thank anybody I have missed and will think of in the middle of the night and want to smack myself for so obviously missing.

  And it may seem odd, but I want to thank my characters. I am nothing without you. You stepped in my heart and mind and the journey took off. Thank you.

  Adventure further with Charlotte

  and the magical community in

  Malignant Transformation.

  Here’s a Sneak Peek!

  Prologue

  Insula Rocca

  She lay in his bed, dark beauty of the air and clouds and wind.

  She was a daughter of the sky,

  And he was a son of the earth.

  But here they were neither earth nor sky.

  Here when they touched it was like the wind rushing through blades of grass and leaves of trees.

  Here they were separate yet together all at once.

  The boat ride to Insula Rocca was lazy. Philip sat stiffly in one end of the pristine boat as he clenched his hands off and on and struck the side of the boat on occasion. The smell of blood tickled his nose. He grimaced at the salty spray that hit him in the face periodically. He had tried turning his head different ways and shifting his posture, but the spray always came. By now he had accepted its annoying presence. The spray was no doubt part of Eminente’s plan. Everything was part of his plan. Except perhaps failure. He briefly shivered then, despite the warm air. Here it was always warm with a light breeze right when you needed it. Under better circumstances he would relax and enjoy the ride, but his homecoming was tainted with the fresh, gushing wound of failure. Raven lay slung across the bottom near his feet. It had been all he could do it get her here quickly enough for medical attention. The boat and the rower had been waiting for them when he arrived with her in his arms. Eminente was always hospitable. Philip didn’t know how his failure was known so quickly, but it didn’t surprise him. It had been a short moment since he was back in his garden of ice battling with that barely an adult human female. He spit when he thought of her as if he could spit her annoying image out of his mind and drown it in the salty waters. Not only had she thwarted his plans, but she had also had the audacity to collaborate with his parents. Only the satisfaction of knowing his traitorous parents were finally dead kept his spirits up. He would convince Eminente to give him a second chance.

  His focus shifted back to the trip. They were near land, but not the main island. It was a clever island, with many rings and no easy way to reach the fortress. The creature operating the boat stared at him with a sideways glance and snickered. Philip shivered once more. He had never grown accustomed to the Zimmon, and he was confident that he never would. The tall, dark, and stocky creature smelled of sand, salt, leather, and blood. His dreadlocks were a lifetime long and he wore a crudely sewn loincloth. His body was covered with scars and tattoos. This particular Zimmon was missing dreadlocks in a couple of places and had healing gouges on his arms from a recent fight. The Zimmon were an ancient breed of half-giants that Eminente had discovered during a trip overseas many years ago. Not even Philip knew how he had managed to recruit them, but Eminente did have a very successful record of recruiting others to his cause. The Zimmon lived on one of the outer rings of island around the island. No one dared go there other than Eminente. The ruckus one heard from a distance was more than enough to scare anyone else away. Even now Philip wished he had earplugs to block out the rumbling sound their language made. When they shouted, which was quite frequently, it was easy to mistake for the sound of an avalanche. The outermost guardians of the fortress had been chosen well.

  Dolphins splashed in the distance. Philip grudgingly admired their beauty and strength. Normally he shunned nature, but there was something about this island that called into the deepest pit of his heart and begged him in whispers to remember his faun ancestry. Raven stirred as they finally neared the first narrow curve that led into the waters that circled around the second ring of island. She cried out and then tried to roll to her side with gasps of pain. “I can’t feel my wings!” She cursed before giving up her struggle. The Zimmon snickered loudly, and Raven stiffened. She stared icily at Philip, but her eyes did not leave his face. The Zimmon repulsed Philip, but Raven hated them. She covered up her terrible mood to everyone except him whenever she had to visit the island, and would often be cross with him for weeks afterwards. He had hoped that she would remain unconscious until they were within the fortress. He smiled apologetically and bent down to run his hand across her forehead even though he knew she would still be hot with fever. “Shhh. Be still. We will be there soon.” She lost consciousness soon after and he silently sighed in relief.

  Slowly they followed the watery path around and around the orchid lined shores. Rodents and insects scurried across the island. Monkeys and birds chattered and danced from tree to tree. Every now and then they would pass a manatee digging for food. Finally they reached the port and adjacent village on the main island. Here lived the fishers and farmers and some of the soldiers stationed at the port. Most of Eminente’s followers lived within the city walls around the fortress, though both places had small populations. Those who lived on Insula Rocca were hand picked carefully. Eminente liked to call the solution to the current sparseness of inhabitants his stage three plan. Raven liked to call it something else.

  A stately carriage and a familiar driver from his childhood awaited them just outside of the port gates. The carriage was drawn by a pack of dobarcu: the half-dog, half-otter creatures that lived in the moat outside the city walls. The dobarcu barked and snarled and snipped at each other as they waited. The driver with asymmetrical whiskers, unkempt hair, and loud shirts was a hobgoblin named Dobson. He was a very ugly even by hob standards, but Philip had a fondness for this short, hairy grunting hob who had taken care of him until Eminente was ready to train him. These days Dobson oversaw only the dobarcu. He grunted a hello at Philip. Philip nodded back.

  It didn’t take him long to check in with the port authorities; it never did. He carried Raven to the carriage and settled her onto a bench. He sat down on the other bench and watched out one of the little windows as the breathtaking island passed by quickly. He could almost see a shadow of himself as a young faun running through the trees, covered in dirt and sweat and adventure. Soon the walls of the city loomed and the carriage slowed down to wait on the drawbridge. The dobarcu strained against their bindings. Philip stared at the volcanic rock walls that reminded him of safety. He hardly heard the drawbridge groan as it lowered or the dobarcu bark out in frustration when Dobson hurried them past their watery home where other dobarcu leaped out of the water and snarled a greeting to their brothers. Philip’s leg twitched as he remembered being bitten by one of them once before when he had gotten too close. A full-grown dobarcu could take down a faun who stupidly wandered too close. A faun could easily outrun it, but not if it found its leg trapped in teeth. His encounter had been against a young dobarcu. It was the first kill he had ever made.

  The fortress was at the very back of the city embedded in the side o
f the only mountain on the island. The road leading to it was straight and massive, with a middle divider of raised beds of plumeria trees. After a wave in with fortress authorities, the carriage was through the last set of gates and at a stop in front of the large set of stairs that led up to a second story porch and entrance. Eminente stood outside the door with jolly eyes and a welcoming smile. “Philip!” He shouted cheerily and started down the stairs. Philip smiled with relief and waved before opening the door. He scooped Raven up in his arms and brought her to the door where Eminente stood with his arms opened.

  Raven’s eyes fluttered open for a moment at the transfer and she moaned. “You are safe now dear.” Eminente said gently. He looked Raven over and shook his head. “Oh, tsk, tsk. She’s lost so much blood. It’s too bad you couldn’t get her here faster. But it’s no matter. I will have this taken care of quickly.”

  Philip nodded and bowed, staying low until Eminente spoke again. “Come. We must get her to the infirmary.”

  “Thank you. You have been most generous, Eminente.” Philip said as he stood slowly.

  “Yes, I have.” Something flashed in Eminente’s eyes for a split second before being replaced his usual calm demeanor.

  Philip followed quietly to the infirmary and took a seat outside. Eminente joined him moments later, shutting the solid door behind him. There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence as he sat down by Philip, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Philip knew better than to interrupt that look, so he sat unmoving and breathed as slowly as he could. He knew he didn’t deserve to even sit next to this great man who had taken him in and raised him. What had he given him in return? Failure. Raven would disagree with him. She always rolled her eyes when he spoke of his master, but she didn’t understand the debt he owed him. She was free. She would yell and call him foolish for following, but he would yell back and call her the same for not falling into line. Sometimes he wondered why they had stayed together, but always she was there for him. Always he was there for her.