Ghost Phoenix

by Corrina Lawson

  The man unhooked the bugle at his waist, set it to his lips and blew a long, sweet sound.

  “You remember our herald, FitzHugh?” Richard whispered to her.

  “I do. I just didn’t think his title was so literal.”

  The herald let the note die in the hall, hooked the trumpet back to his waist and cleared his throat.

  “Lords and ladies, I present Eleanor, by grace of God, Queen of England, The Duchess of Normandy, Duchess of the Aquitaine and Countess of Anjou. Your Queen!”

  Queen Eleanor entered from the back, forcing everyone in the middle of hall to line up in two neat rows and let her pass by. She walked, head held high, regal as ever.

  She is Galadriel, Marian thought, and nearly smiled. There were some parallels. This Queen was also immortal, like Tolkien’s elven princess, and just as beautiful, in the same ethereal way. As Eleanor passed them, never once looking to the side—did that bode ill or not?—Marian studied her.

  The Queen’s features were classically beautiful and could have been carved on an ancient Greek vase as a symbol of beauty. The dress of red and yellow silks layered over each other barely touched the floor, somehow giving the impression that Queen Eleanor floated on air rather than walked.

  Richard had presence, but Eleanor of Aquitaine filled the entire room with her person, a force so palpable that Marian nearly went down on one knee, even though Eleanor wore no crown.

  She didn’t need one.

  Marian understood now how she had married two kings, raised a brood of charismatic if dangerous sons, held on to her immortality since the twelfth century and created this shadow court for her people.

  What had she seen? What had she done in the intervening years? Oh, dear Lord, Marian knew her father would give up years of his life to spend hours in Eleanor’s presence, to hear these stories firsthand. She suspected he wasn’t the only scholar who would feel that way.

  “Whoa,” Daz breathed out.

  The Queen walked up a few short steps and occupied the throne that awaited her at the top. Marshal, in a sharp gray suit, appeared from her right and held his Queen’s fingers lightly while she settled onto the throne.

  If the Queen seemed a thing of the fairy or fantasy realm, Marshal was a tree, strong and solid, centering them to this time and place. Her will, his deeds, Richard had said.

  Marshal bent his knee before his Queen. Richard and the rest of the Court did the same, including her. Even Daz dipped awkwardly and bowed his head in respect.

  Marshal rose, signaling that they could do so as well.

  “Approach with your people, Prince Richard Plantagenet,” the Queen ordered.

  Her voice was light but it carried the full length of the hall. Richard took Marian’s arm. Marian held her head high and concentrated on not tripping over her own feet. Daz followed a step behind them.

  Richard stopped at the bottom of the dais. “Your Grace.”

  “It has been some time since you left my presence and this court, Richard.”

  “This is so.” Richard nodded.

  Marian felt like a flea caught between two suns. God knew what Daz felt like.

  “You abandoned your duties here.”

  “I did not see any point in staying when the Court so obviously didn’t want my advice.”

  Eleanor raised her eyebrows.

  “You are saying we were in error,” the Queen continued.

  “I believed my brother gave you bad advice. I wished for my Queen to hold my opinion in as high esteem as his.”

  The Queen held up a hand. “That is understood.” She looked at the assemblage.

  “We learned long ago that war is the worst pestilence and the bane of all mankind. Richard, by his actions in returning to us, has demonstrated he understands this as well.” Eleanor of Aquitaine cleared her throat.

  “Long life can also alter our perceptions so they are not as keen as perhaps they could be. Queens are not infallible and they should not be inflexible.” She glanced at Marshal, and some unspoken communication passed between them. Marshal set his hand on the arm of the throne.

  “Prince Edward was a loyal subject but unfortunately misled by his devotion to us. We see his younger brother has clearer sight.” She glided down the steps. “Welcome back to court, Richard Plantagenet, Prince of England. And welcome to your angel, Marian Amanda Doyle, and to your comrade in arms, Daz Montoya. We look forward to meeting your compatriots in the Phoenix Institute.”

  She waved a hand at the Court. The room erupted into applause and then people settled into loud chatter.

  Richard knelt before her and kissed her hand. Eleanor of Aquitaine smiled.

  “I have always wanted to see a Prince Richard ruling a court.” She patted Richard’s hand. “You are the direct descendent of my son, and you do your family and your court proud.”

  “Direct? But Richard the Lionheart had no heirs,” Marian blurted out.

  “That you know of.” Eleanor raised her voice again. “Do you all witness our approval?”

  “Long live Prince Richard,” Marshal said.

  The Court echoed Marshal’s assent.

  Richard held up a hand to still them. “There’s a celebration planned in the next room. We will meet you there in a few moments.”

  The herald led the Court out of the room and into the ballroom.

  It left only her and Daz with Richard, Marshal and the Queen.

  “You have chosen an interesting consort,” Eleanor said.

  “I have chosen the right one.” Richard put his arm around Marian.

  “You value her life and wishes more than mine?” the Queen asked. No, not the Queen. Eleanor, the mother, asked her foster son.

  “You would not want your life bought by the blood of innocents, nor would you have interfered with a love so strong that not even fire and earth could defeat it.”

  “Ah, Richard, you were always a lovely poet.” Eleanor smiled. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “As Marshal values your life above all, so I value Marian’s life.”

  Eleanor of Aquitaine laughed. “Very good, Richard.”

  Marian blinked, near blinded by the radiance of that approval.

  The Queen practically floated toward her. Ack, she’s coming straight at me.

  Silly. She was walking. She was a person.

  She was an immortal Queen whose charisma could melt icicles in the middle of Alaska. Marian wondered if that charisma was also a psychic ability.

  “You do not look like an angel, Marian Amanda Doyle, in this guise. I would love to see a demonstration,” Eleanor said.

  “Show her, my love,” Richard asked.

  Did Richard have any idea how hard it was to concentrate with this woman staring at her this way? Fine—she wanted a demonstration, she would get a demonstration.

  Marian clenched her jaw and focused, starting with her arms and legs, counting seconds until her entire body was immaterial. She let herself float several feet in the air, until she was even with the throne.

  She passed through the curtain at the back, came out behind the throne, passed through the chair and the Queen herself and floated back to Richard’s side.

  The Queen had not moved. But she was blinking furiously. As Marian regained solid form and took Richard’s hand, Marshal winked at her and smiled. “An angel indeed.”

  “Yes, certainly. We welcome you, Marian.”

  The Queen kissed her cheek formally. Marian sighed inwardly with relief.

  “Hmm…” Eleanor looked past them, to Daz. “A fine looking man-at-arms. You are both to be commended.”

  “Uh, thanks, Lady Queen,” Daz said.

  “Sir Montoya, would you please escort me to my table? I need someone to keep the raff off in this crowd of favor seekers.”

  “Uh, yeah, sure, uh,
Your Grace.”

  He offered her his arm and she took it. Daz glanced back at Richard, his face pleading. Richard shrugged. You’re on your own, buddy, Marian translated to herself.

  Marshal joined them, his eyes all for Eleanor.

  “The Queen,” Richard said to Marshal, “always did favor loyal knights.”

  “Handsome loyal knights, of course.” Marshal said. “I expect she will be tolerably amused all evening by your friend. He is likely to be very good for her.” Marshal clapped Richard’s shoulder. “Glad to see it all went well, boy. Even happier to see you reconciled.”

  “Ah, about that. Are you on board now with my plans?”

  “To go public, a little at a time? I am. The Queen is still deciding, but I believe being the center of attention will appeal to her. And she wants to meet the firestarter, the telepath and the man who could defeat Edward. Of the three, I expect she will adore the firestarter. The other two, well, we’ll see. But I like Beth Nakamora already.”

  “Good,” Richard said.

  “For someone so dangerous, Alec’s kinda adorable,” Marian added.

  “Always a plus.” Marshal bowed to them and followed in the wake behind the Queen.

  Richard wrapped his arms around Marian from behind. She settled into the comfort of his embrace. “Do I have to call you Your Highness now?” she asked.

  “An angel outranks any king, my love.”

  “Stellar,” she said.

  About the Author

  Corrina Lawson is a writer, mom, geek and sometime superhero. She is a former newspaper reporter with a degree in journalism from Boston University. She turned to writing fiction after her twins were born (they were kids three and four) to save her sanity.

  Her books include The Curse of the Brimstone Contract, a romantic steampunk mystery, the alternate history Seneca series: Freya’s Gift, Dinah of Seneca and Eagle of Seneca, and the superhero romance stories from Samhain: Phoenix Rising, Luminous and Phoenix Legacy and the upcoming Ghost Phoenix, Ghosts of Christmas Past, and Phoenix Inheritance. She also is the co-writer of The GeekMom Book, which was published by the Potter Craft division of Crown Publishing in October 2012.

  Corrina is currently Content Director of Geek Mom and a core contributor to its brother site, Geek Dad.

  You can reach her via her website, www.Corrina-Lawson.com

  Her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/corrina.lawson

  Her Twitter: www.twitter.com/corrinalawson

  Her Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/blog/corrinalawson

  Look for these titles by Corrina Lawson

  Now Available:

  Freya’s Gift

  The Curse of the Brimstone Contract

  The Phoenix Institute

  Phoenix Rising

  Phoenix Legacy

  Luminous

  Coming Soon:

  The Phoenix Institute

  Ghosts of Christmas Past

  Phoenix Inheritance

  He was born to be a weapon. For her, he must learn to be a hero.

  Phoenix Rising

  © 2011 Corrina Lawson

  The Phoenix Institute, Book 1

  Since birth, Alec Farley has been trained to be a living weapon. His firestarter and telekinetic abilities have been honed to deadly perfection by the Resource, a shadowy anti-terrorist organization—the only family he has ever known. What the Resource didn’t teach him, though, is how to play well with others.

  When psychologist Beth Nakamora meets Alec to help him work on his people skills, she’s hit with a double-barreled first impression. He’s hot in more ways than one. And her first instinct is to rescue him from his insular existence.

  Her plan to kidnap and deprogram him goes awry when her latent telepathic ability flares, turning Alec’s powers off. Hoping close proximity will reignite his flame, she leads him by the hand through a world he’s never known. And something else flares: Alec’s anger over everything he’s been denied. Especially the passion that melds his mind and body with hers.

  The Resource, however, isn’t going to let anything—or anyone—steal its prime investment. Alec needs to be reminded where his loyalties lie…starting with breaking his trust in the woman he’s come to love.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Phoenix Rising:

  “I’m sorry for staring. I’ve haven’t seen your equipment up close before.”

  “Hah!” He sat in an easy chair to lace up his boots. “You know you can see my equipment anytime you ask.”

  “Um, that’s not quite what I had in mind.” Alec had charmed her. Lansing had been right about that. She hadn’t counted on him being so genuinely interested in her.

  At least she’d had the willpower not to touch Alec’s hand and risk that intense jolt of energy a second time. Just being around him was seductive enough.

  Alec shrugged at her refusal, walked back to the bed and loaded a clip into his handgun. Some sort of pistol, though she had no idea exactly what kind. Philip would have known. Alec’s eyes narrowed as he double-checked the weapon. For a moment, he was completely the competent military officer.

  Satisfied, he set it down and turned to face her. He frowned, on uncertain ground again.

  “Did anyone ever show you a life without guns?”

  He raised one of those perfect eyebrows, oozing more confidence than ten men. Who wouldn’t have that confidence, if fire literally danced to their command?

  “You know, I thought Lansing agreed too quickly to send you. Did he want you to check up on me?”

  “No.” But it would be like Lansing to say that he had.

  “Hah. I think you’re a bad liar, counselor. A life without guns? That’s the kind of leading question that he uses to test me.”

  “I’m not lying.” Not about that. “No, it’s the first time I’ve seen you prepare for a mission. It worries me.” She looked down at the dark carpet and scuffed her feet. “I have doubts about what you’re doing. I think you’re not seeing the big picture.” Like how your foster father is using you to gain power and influence, at the risk of your life. “You don’t have to put your gift to this use. There are so many other things you can do that don’t involve violence.”

  Or the possibility of being killed.

  Philip had been terrified at letting her walk into danger. Looking at Alec, she knew how Philip felt. Just how dangerous was this mission tonight?

  “Only I can do what I can do,” Alec said.

  “Which is all the more reason not to risk your life so recklessly.” She was pushing too hard, out of fear. No choice now. She’d run out of time.

  “I’m not reckless,” he said. “I’m as careful as I can be.”

  “With weapons and body armor? If you’re doing something careful, you don’t need them.”

  He buckled on the body armor and walked over to her, so that they were only a few feet apart. He towered over her, even more than Lansing, but she didn’t feel the least bit afraid of him, not since their first meeting. He wouldn’t hurt her. Despite his work as a soldier, there was no meanness in him. She rubbed her arm, remembering Lansing’s anger. Alec wasn’t like him at all.

  “I like doing this,” Alec said. “I make a difference. It’s what I’m trained for.”

  “Yes, I know. But you never had a say in any of that training. You’ve told me that.”

  “Fighting the bad guys is family tradition.” He straightened. “Lansing’s too old now, so it’s my turn. It happens all the time. Daz has the same deal, on both the American and the Filipino sides of his family.”

  “Daz didn’t grow up isolated in this place.”

  “Yeah, well, Daz didn’t have to worry about accidentally burning down the schoolyard as a kid. I did.” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you seriously trying to talk me out of going tonight? C’mon.” />
  “I’m trying to get you to reconsider what you’ve been forced into doing for your entire life. There’s a whole world out there you haven’t seen.”

  She walked over to the coffee table, reached down and brushed her fingertips over the gun. Her hand trembled. The gun looked like the same kind that her kidnappers had used, years ago. If he stayed with the Resource, Alec might become like those men, using any ends to justify the means.

  “Hey! What’s with the nerves? Where’s my competent, no-nonsense counselor?”

  The gun rose from the coffee table, floating in air. She turned and followed its flight. He snatched the gun out of midair with a smile and holstered it.

  “See?” he said. “I control the guns, not the other way around.”

  “And who controls you?”

  His chest, Kevlar vest and all, rose and fell in a deep sigh. “I know someone in this room who’s trying to control me. What’s wrong, Beth?” He walked to her and lifted her chin with two fingers, his dark eyes crinkling around the edges.

  “This is not a life you chose, this is a life that’s been imposed on you, from birth.”

  “And?” His fingertips moved along her jaw, in a soft caress. I should move away. It feels too good. But he’s listening.

  “I’m scared. About this mission, about you being locked up inside the Resource forever.” Deathly afraid, so afraid her stomach felt like a heavy lump of coal. “There’s so much you don’t know about the Resource and about Lansing, so much you don’t understand. And you need to know it before it kills you.”

  “Hey, I know Lansing can be a bastard. And that he’s overprotective and controlling. I’m working on it. But it doesn’t change the fact that this is my job.” Alec leaned closer to her face. “We can talk about that another time.”

  “Do you really think there’s going to be another time?” Her voice rose, almost panicked now. She wasn’t getting through. “What if you get hurt tonight?”

  “Look, this cell might have a dirty bomb. They need to be stopped, and I’m the one who can do it. I have to do this, right now.”