Phoenix Rising (the New Age Saga Book 3)

by Timothy A. Ray

  She didn’t want to talk about it anymore, the grief wasn’t going to go away with the wave of a magic wand, and nothing he said would change any of that. She got herself into a seated position, her legs hanging stiffly over the edge of the bed. It was possible she had a bit more wine than she intended the night before, but upon seeing her father for the first time, she couldn’t help it. The two hadn’t had words yet, but she knew the moment was coming, and she dreaded what might come of that.

  “Excuse me, madam, but the King has requested your presence,” an elder elf, she’d heard referred to as Jarel, informed her with a bow of his head.

  Her mind jumped to thinking of her father and she inwardly cursed having even thought about him. Then she recalled that it was Erik’s aide that was knocking on her door, not Bordin’s, and her heart started to simmer down. “Why so early?” she groaned, her hands massaging her aching temples.

  The elf gave her a curious look. “Early, Madam? I’m afraid the day is nearly gone and soon night will be upon us.”

  “What?” she asked, stunned, turning to glare at the man; sure that he had to be making that up.

  Jarel shifted uneasily from one foot to another. “It’s already evening, Madam, and the King has asked that you meet him by the stables.” With that, the elf bowed to her and disappeared behind the closing door.

  The day was almost gone? How’d that happened? She couldn’t have slept through the day! She had never been that drunk before. She was always up at dawn and on the move long before other people even rolled over and opened their eyes. Tuskar had—

  She paused, remembering her companion with fresh grief. He’d always been there to wake her up and get her moving. Her mind had depended on that consistency and without his thoughts to pull her upward, she had remained in deep sleep, only roused by the knocking on the door. It was just another way in which her life was already effected by his loss.

  Getting to her feet, she went about putting the clothes on that had been provided to her upon her arrival. She forewent the dress, it wasn’t her style, and pulled on a fresh pair of black pants and a dark gray tunic. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she ran some water over her face, looked at herself in the mirror, and steeled herself for what was coming next.

  Stepping from the hall, she was greeted by one of the King’s servants, and she waved them off dismissively. She had walked the palace many times since her arrival and knew where the royal stables were. She’d already been there a few times to tend to her horse. The servant bowed his head and left her to her own devices. She rolled her shoulders and straightened up.

  Why had the King wanted to meet with her? She was Willow’s sister. She understood that there was a friendship there, which had sprung into being with the King’s restoration, but what did that have to do with her? Was he simply meeting her on that basis or was there something else he wished to discuss? She hoped it wasn’t a social call based on her supposed hierarchal status, because she would have to set him straight on that shit right away. She would not be catered too and wanted nothing more than to be left alone while Merlin came up with what came next in their quest to bring the Phoenix down. She wanted nothing to do with the life of being royalty; they could keep it.

  Approaching the stables, she was startled to see that Bordin was standing next to Erik as they walked among the stalls. Her sluggish thoughts, when told that a King wanted to see her, might have been right after all. “Well, shit.”

  They must have picked up on her curse, because they both turned and their conversation broke off. “Welcome, daughter of Bordin,” Erik greeted her, extending his hand.

  She wasn’t sure if she should acknowledge that, especially in the presence of the man that was supposed to be her father. She could feel the elder elf’s eyes on her, studying her face, searching for resemblances between either him or her mother. Slowly, she reached out and took the extended hand, it would have been rude to let it hang there otherwise. “Forgive me, your Majesty, it’s Kylee, daughter of Lura.”

  The other King winced, but refused to show any other outward emotion, content to just remain silent by Erik’s side.

  Erik ignored the other man’s sudden discomfort and broadened his smile. “So it shall be til I hear otherwise. Now, I’ve heard that you’ve recently suffered a loss. I’m sorry to hear that. Nothing that I can say or do will lighten that grief, but I also have to recognize and honor the sacrifice and why it came about,” he told her with a low tone, motioning with his hand for her to follow him through the stables. “You assisted Tristan and Willow with the recovery of Excalibur, and I understand that you sacrificed your own chance at vengeance against your family’s butcher in order to see it done.”

  Bordin’s mouth pulled into a grimace and she saw a flash of guilt pass over his face. Did he know the extent of what had happened and why? Had Willow told him everything that had taken place so long ago? From the look of his eyes when they turned her way, she could see that she had. Anger rose. She understood why her sister had done it, but it wasn’t her place to try and mend what had happened. She should have a choice whether or not to allow this man into her life; not have it taken away from her, no matter how well intentioned.

  They were nearing the kennels and she suspiciously eyed the King as he led her forward. “I don’t think I’m ready for what I think you are offering to do,” she muttered, believing the grief too close to the surface to easily be swayed by another life to be responsible for.

  “We may not have time later. My scouts report enemy movement in the west, and I expect the Phoenix’s hordes to be encamped before the castle within the week. This may be the only time I have to see that your wolf’s death is honored appropriately,” he responded.

  Hesitantly, she stepped into the kennel after the two Kings; curiosity getting the best of her.

  Sounds of barking dogs greeted them as soon as the door opened and she winced at a fleeting memory of Tuskar’s growls as she stepped inside. Pens held multiple breeds of dogs at various ages and she was surprised to see the monarch continue to walk as if they’re barking didn’t even phase him. She looked to Bordin, but it didn’t look like he knew for sure what they were doing either.

  Exiting the back of the kennel, they entered another part of the grounds and she saw a very large Dire wolf lying in a bed, several smaller pups chasing each other around the pen. They were pure black with white paws, one of which had a white muzzle which wound its way down its stomach. She eyed it curiously and for a brief moment, felt the pull of the creature’s mind as it reached out for her in recognition of her gift.

  Erik followed her gaze and motioned for the man feeding them to separate the pup from the others and carry it towards her. Looking into the innocent eyes of the creature, she let her mind drift and found a young eager mind greeting her thoughts.

  “Obviously, she’s not ready to be separated from her mother yet, that’s a couple of weeks off, but when she is—she is yours. I’ve given Rourke here orders to let you visit as needed. You are free to come and go as you please,” he told her, not leaving any option open to her to say no.

  She reluctantly agreed, unable to refuse the unexpected gift while looking into the young pup’s eyes.

  “Good, thank you Rourke. Now, I have a favor to ask of you,” Erik told her after the other elf carefully put the Dire wolf pup next to her mother and moved off.

  She eyed him suspiciously, knowing that this is where the other shoe dropped.

  He chuckled, “nothing like that. I don’t want anything from you. What you have done has already earned my gratitude and I can never repay what you have sacrificed on my behalf. No, this is of a more personal nature.”

  He began walking towards a wooden building at the other end of the grounds. Bordin had to drag his eyes away from the Dire wolf pups and take a few quick steps to keep up.

  They entered the aged wooden door and she stepped into a sparsely lit room.

  “A few years ago, I happened upon a nest of shri
kes while I was out hunting. Their mother lay dead next to the nest, and the hatchlings were obviously going to die without her there to feed them. So, I gathered them up and brought them home with me. To my regret, all but one died, and although I have worked hard over the years to train the remaining male, I just can’t seem to earn the creature’s trust enough to get him to respond. I was hoping that you would give it a try, it’d be a shame after all of that, for the shrike’s remaining years to be spent cooped up in this aviary of ours,” he explained as he took her to a roost holding a very large, black and gray bird. He was hooded, but his neck was craned, and the pointed beak was pointed straight at them.

  She was speechless.

  “A Dire wolf is one thing, but a shrike? Do you know how dangerous those creatures are? It would have been better to leave him dead in the woods where you found him!” Bordin suddenly spoke for the first time, and she purposely kept her eyes glued to the magnificent bird in front of her.

  “So am I,” she responded without glancing his way, stepping forward and laying a hand on the bird’s shoulder. With her mind, she slowly reached out and touched the bird’s consciousness with her own.

  Everything that Erik told her was confirmed within the first few moments of their joining and she felt the independent stubborn nature of the shrike resist her first attempts at connection. Slowly he let her in, and she let her mind mingle with his unhindered, the psychic touch so strong that it instantly made her want to retreat, as it reminded her so much of her dead friend.

  The shrike was massive, the roost he was on creaking under his shifting weight. His wingspan was easily six feet across and his gray talons flexed in response to her scrutiny. He was well muscled, but a bit weak from not having enough time in the air. She saw a leather tether around his ankles, preventing his flying away, and she slowly reached down and undid them.

  “Do you really want to be doing that?” Bordin blurted and for the first time she turned and glared at him.

  “Let her be,” Erik replied calmly, clearly unconcerned with what she was doing.

  She untethered his feet and watched as he suddenly shifted weight, realizing that he was now free. Slowly she reached up and removed the hood, allowing the bird’s eyes to find her and see her as she was. Their minds slid through their lives as one, each seeing the span of the other’s life, and she felt a kinship with the bird she’d rarely felt with any other. She felt like a caged animal these days as well.

  The bird was too large for her to take in hand, but she purposely walked towards the door and opened it wide enough for the shrike to exit freely. With a loud shriek, the jagged beak spread wide, tongue slithering out in anticipation, as large wings spread and quickly lifted the large bird into the air. Bordin ducked, but Erik remained still as the shrike dove for the door and then soared out of view.

  She stepped out and watched as the shrike took to the skies. “Such a magnificent predator should not be chained; it should be allowed to roam the skies as intended or killed outright.”

  She was talking about more than the bird, and the King knew it as he came to stand by her side, eyes watching the shrike circle overhead. “His keeping is in your hands now. I trust that you can ensure he won’t be a problem within the castle grounds?”

  She nodded, letting her thoughts reach out and tell the shrike to go hunting in the woods, but warning against taking any harmful actions within the castle walls. She felt the grudgingly compliance of her new friend and she smiled as he dove north and out of sight.

  “The roost will be moved to your balcony immediately. If you need anything to see to his care, just let me know. And thank you,” he told her softly, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

  Bordin came to stand next to the other elf and he looked to the sky with awe. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you have done so much for my daughters. Thank you for that.”

  Anger bristled underneath the surface of her skin, wondering how it suddenly became the man’s place to speak for her, but she had to purposely bite her tongue to keep from giving it voice. At least while in the presence of Forlorn’s monarch.

  “It wasn’t for you that I did it,” Erik remarked. “They have both earned every bit of gratitude they’ve received, and much more.” He turned to her and gave her one final smile. “You will always be welcomed into my home. If you feel up to it you can come to dinner later, but if you’d rather spend time with your new companions, I’d understand that as well.” With that, he clapped her on the shoulder one more time, then turned away. After a few steps, he stopped and looked at her once more. “By the way, the armory is open to you. Take what you need and feel free to upgrade that armor of yours, it looks worn and in need of replacing.”

  “Thank you,” she responded, bowing her head and as she watched the elf walk away. Then she realized that she was now alone with her father for the first time in her life.

  Bordin looked at her for a moment and winced at the anger flaring in her eyes. “If I had any idea—”

  “If your daughter had an idea, so did you. There were rumors of my birth long before your father knocked my mother up that second time, and you abandoned her to her fate,” she muttered with years of anger rising unchecked. “But then, by the time she left, you had a new woman to focus on, didn’t you? And she was quickly dismissed and forgotten.”

  “How dare you?” the King roared, squaring his shoulders and staring at her with undisguised fury. “How dare you pretend to know what I felt and didn’t feel. What I knew and what I was purposely kept ignorant of. Yes, okay, I heard rumors of your birth, but those rumors also mentioned masked men in the night and your mother’s carousing about inns. I didn’t know for years that it was my father’s men supplying me with that crap, otherwise I would have sought you out and claimed you as my own. Did my father arrange my marriage to time with your mother’s disappearance? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t look for her! I looked for your mother for years, unable to find even a trace. And when I finally found out—”

  Her father looked away then and she thought she saw a slight mist come over his eyes. Her anger refused to back down though, and she clenched her fist tightly; trying not to physically strike the man standing before her.

  “They told me that everyone on that farm perished. I grieved privately for your mother, and for you and your brother as well,” the King told her, his voice breaking. “I loved Lura with all my heart, I would have done anything to keep her with me, even walk away from the crown and run away with her if need be. Whatever it took to protect her and keep her with me until we both died of old age.”

  “You know,” he said, taking a step towards her, unafraid of the glare she was giving or the attack stance her body had unwillingly taken. “I heard tales of a white-haired ranger with albino eyes from some traveling merchants a few years ago and it immediately gave me hope. That is, after all, my mother’s hair and her birthmarks adorning your face.”

  “Hope for what?” she managed between gritted teeth, ignoring the last.

  “Redemption,” he muttered softly.

  She fumed for a moment longer, then looked deep into the other man’s eyes and her anger softened; the sincerity behind his words snaking their way into her heart. She forced her hands to unclench and stood there, shifting from one foot to another, unsure of what to say or how to respond. He reached out to embrace her but she flinched, and he tentatively pulled his hand back.

  “I sent men to look for you, to bring you home to your rightful place by my side, but they weren’t able to track you fast enough. Then you just disappeared,” he told her, causing one of her eyebrows to rise.

  She had disappeared because Merlin had found her. Had the mage planned that all along? Where would she be right now if he’d left her alone? At Griedlok by her father’s side? What would that life had been like? Tuskar would still be alive.

  But then, Excalibur might have been lost to them and the threat of the Phoenix unstoppable as hell fire reigned down upon t
hem. No, it had been the right thing going with the mage and she wouldn’t second guess that now.

  “You know, under Forlorn’s laws, you are the rightful heir to the crown as the eldest child,” he offered, despite his naming Tristan his heir the day before.

  She considered what he said only briefly, but then shook her head and grimaced. “That kind of life is not for me. I’m for the woods and the open fields, not the halls of a palace chained down like that shrike was inside. The crown is a leather tether, and I would not have it bound around my ankles instead.”

  He looked at her with a new appreciation and she shifted uncomfortably before his gaze.

  “You are my daughter. We have wasted thirty years already, let’s not waste anymore,” the King said after a moment’s pause and though every bone in her body told her to embrace the man, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  She looked towards the sky and in the distance could feel the joy the shrike was feeling as he made his first kill of the evening. He’d taken down a deer and the glory of the moment swept over her. He had a new life, maybe it was time for her to move on with hers.

  “Let’s take it slow, okay?” she finally offered, it was the best she could do at the moment. “This is all new to me. After spending the last twenty years on my own, I’ve suddenly had a sister thrust upon me, and though I have slowly come to accept what that means, having a father now as well is just a bit—overwhelming.”

  He nodded in understanding and she slowly let her body loosen up; her stance to widen. “Why don’t we just walk for a while? I’d like to know more about what my mother was like when she was young and you may be the only person that can answer the questions I have about her.”

  “I’d like that,” he responded with a smile and gestured for her to begin walking along the path that led to the palace gardens. “You know, she had her eyes glamoured at a young age. She was born with eyes as white as yours.”