Chapter Three

  They swayed together on the dance floor. “So, who do you think it was?”

  He leaned down until he was whispering in her ear. “I know who it was or rather the organization they belong to. Many magical folk believe that in the time of the Nexus, if the dragon and phoenix get together, it will mean the death of an entire magical species.”

  “What?”

  “It is our version of a doomsday cult. The dragon and phoenix get together so infrequently, there are bound to be some myths and legends about them.”

  She chuckled. “I haven’t been able to do as much research as I would like to. There isn’t much that I could access without sending up warning flags.”

  “I have some books and scrolls you can borrow. They show the histories of couples past.”

  Elly blushed at the idea of being part of a couple. “I would like to read them.”

  “Then, you shall have them. So, what do you do with your days?”

  “I teach public speaking to corporate representatives.”

  He blinked. “That is not what I expected you to say.”

  “Why?”

  “It seems such a mundane task for you. I had imagined you reigning as queen over an empire.”

  She laughed. “Not these days. I enjoy helping folks get over their fears and making their point. I have taught doctors, lawyers, educators, and each one has come out of it with more confidence in their speaking abilities than before they started.”

  He swirled her around, his wings forcing the other dancers to give them plenty of space.

  “Do you think that the organization is going to try again?”

  “I believe they will. Do not worry. This courtship will proceed at your pace, but know that I am not leaving you unprotected. You will have guards around you at all times.”

  She stopped, and he paused with a curious expression.

  “You are not going to put guards on me.”

  “Not on you, near you. I want you safe, and while I can handle attacks on my person, I cannot abide the idea of you being in danger.”

  Elly poked him in the chest with two fingers, and he stepped back. His tux was scorched where she had struck him. “I am not the one who had to be rescued in the woods.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Not my finest hour.”

  “How did they get you?”

  He put his arm around her waist and escorted her to a table in the prime seating of the reception.

  She was surrounded by creatures. The Minotaur, gorgons and other mythical shifters were sitting at a variety of tables and socializing.

  Terric sat her at a table full of dragons, and she felt right at home. “Gentlemen, this is Eilinora Dyanhart. Eilinora, this is Weller, Argus, McNaro and Dorwin. They are the dragon elders. Well, they are the eldest next to me.”

  Dorwin grinned, showing sharp fangs. “Don’t mention your age, Terric. There is nothing like the reminder that you have lived beyond the lifespans of their great grandparents to send women of this generation screaming.”

  “I am made of sterner stuff.” She grinned. “I know he is ancient and decrepit.”

  Terric snorted and fire shot out of his nose.

  “That is the weirdest thing.”

  Argus leaned forward, and his crimson hair swung in a long sheet. “If you think that breathing fire is strange, wait until the wedding night.”

  Elly’s cheeks pinked at the mention of a wedding night. “It is a little early to be thinking along those lines.”

  The dragons at the table laughed. Those with wings out flared them.

  Terric sighed, “They laugh because there is only one person you could be and because I have been thinking along those lines since I knew you walked the world.”

  “Ah. So, they all know?”

  “That you are the phoenix or that I think you are? Yes. Does that bother you?”

  She shrugged. “I have spent enough time hiding, I suppose I have to change gears and start planning to be in the light.”

  The moon was bright and a tiny piece of starlight fluttered in and landed on her shoulder. It was the pixie again. She chirped and started pulling grass and leaves out of Elly’s hair.

  “You have been adopted, it seems.” McNaro’s voice was thick with a heavy accent.

  Elly smiled. “At least there is someone here to tell me that I have grass in my hair.”

  The men looked at each other. Terric laughed. “We didn’t notice.”

  She sat while the little creature groomed her and listened to the voices surrounding her. Mages rarely poked their noses into creature gatherings.

  It was just like being at a mage table but everyone was taller and much, much scarier.

  When her little pixie friend hopped on the table and began to shove a goblet of water at her, Elly took the hint and hand something to drink. It had been a while and she was quite thirsty.

  While the dragons chatted, she looked around. She was getting a little bored, and in her state of exhaustion, it was very dangerous. Elly nodded forward and jerked in surprise as she caught herself. She gripped the table and smoke suddenly appeared.

  “Oops. Sorry. I am a little tired.”

  Terric winced. “I apologize; I should have realized that you would be tired from your exertions.”

  She shrugged and he rose to his feet, making polite goodbyes to the other dragons.

  Elly turned back as he escorted her to her family’s table. The dragons were examining the scorch marks she had left, and Dorwin and McNaro were tasting the char with tongues that flicked out a solid six inches. Elly blinked back a wicked smile and kept hold of Terric’s arm.

  The table was empty, and a quick check of the area rendered the inevitable conclusion. The Dyanharts were gone.

  “I think I am going to have to find my own way home.”

  “I will take you.”

  She blinked. “Uh, I can find a cab or a relatively sober transporter.”

  “It is not necessary. I can fly you home through stone.”

  That didn’t sound good at all. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  She thought about it. “I suppose I do. I am guessing that I always will.”

  “Then, hold tight.”

  He lifted her, bent his legs and took off, his wings beating heavily away from the fading reception and toward the largest block of rock he could find.

  Elly shivered uncontrollably when they emerged near her home. “That is not a way I enjoy travelling.”

  He squeezed her tight as he landed in her family’s yard. “It takes getting used to.”

  She swallowed and squirmed to be put down. “I think I am going to hurl.”

  He eased her to the ground but held her tight. With a look of focus, he blew a column of smoke into her face.

  She should have coughed, but instead, she inhaled a vapour that sent off the nausea, stabilising her limbs. “What was that?”

  “Ancient dragon secret. You are not the first maiden who has not enjoyed a trip through the rocks.” He winked. “There is a reason that my kind are rarely caught, and now, you know it.”

  “Rocks to rocks. I just wish you had warned me that the first deposit was underground. The dive nearly gave me a coronary.”

  He smiled. “You are home now, safe and sound. I will see you to your door and set about contacting a guard for you.”

  “Using more dragon secrets?”

  He delved into his pocket and pulled out a small object. “I thought I would use a cell phone.”

  She grinned and fished her house key out of her handbag before going up on her toes and kissing Terric briefly. Sparks flared between them as he wrapped an arm around her and held her tight. Her skin got hot and the fabric between them started to smoulder.

  It may have gone further, but her mother flicked the outdoor lights on and off. It was time to back away. She kissed him once more and then sighed. “I have to work tomorrow, but I am guessing I will hear from you soon. I expect to be swept off my feet in the figurative sense.”

  He grinned and inclined his head. He watched her until she was safely inside.

  With her hand pressed to the interior doorframe, she whispered, “Good night, Terric.”

  She heard his voice answer, “Good night, Eilinora.”

  * * * *

  “So, you mean to tell me that you had her in your arms and you let her go? Why didn’t you use the seduction charm?” The leader of the Reckoning Society shouted.

  Rihadu bowed. “She was impervious to the charm. The scent had no effect on her; it was as if it simply didn’t register.”

  The room was full of representatives from all the races. They were concerned that the combination of magic from the Nexus combined with the dragon and phoenix reuniting would cause a cataclysm that would end the world or at least one species entirely.

  “And, you, how did the dragon get out of your grasp?”

  The three elves who had been watching the woods winced. One of them spoke up, “We didn’t know she could command wind. She took the charms off him from a distance.”

  The leader sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “She has been raised as an air mage. She can control wind. Make a note of it.”

  The elves bowed again and cleared the space in front of the leader’s chair.

  The leader rubbed his forehead again and wondered, How could one insignificant girl be the terror they had been waiting for, and what was stopping her transformation?

  It was the sort of thing that kept him up at night.

  Chapter Four

  The alarm came far too early, but Elly hauled herself out of bed and stomped to the shower. A brisk blast of water and she was partially awake.

  Out of the shower, she dried off in a column of air, adding a little heat to it. That was a mistake; the heat almost knocked her out again.

  Elly made her way back to her room and got dressed for work. Many of the people had stayed at the hotel the night before, but Elly and her family had normal jobs in the human world. With three ladies in the house, they had to make a living.

  Talinora was already gone and their mother had breakfast waiting for Elly when she came down.

  “I can’t believe that you are the phoenix potential.”

  Elly ate her oatmeal and grimaced. “Aw, who told?”

  Her mother smacked her on the shoulder. “I figured it out when Terric the Black asked to come courting. There is only one woman he has been interested in in the last few decades and that was the phoenix. How long have you known?”

  “Since I was thirteen.”

  Andora sat next to her. “Why didn’t you tell me, Elly?”

  Elly gave her a sober look. “You had other things to worry about, and then, I forgot about it. The fire was just always there, and once I looked it up on the internet and in a few of the reference books, it made sense. Frankly, I wasn’t sure until I was at one of the gatherings and Terric showed up. The fire came roaring.”

  “Twelve years is a long time to keep a secret, hon. Are you all right?”

  “What, for being outed in public? As fine as I can be. Now, I have to get to work. Bills to pay and pacing to correct. I will see you later.”

  “Fine, call if you aren’t coming for dinner.”

  “Will do. Thanks, Mom.” She kissed Andora on the cheek, got her bag from its spot next to the door and headed to the garage.

  She saw a shadow shift next to her favourite tree, and she adjusted her path. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, Miss Dyanhart. Terric has asked me to watch you for the day.”

  The man stepped out from the shadows, and she cocked her head. Werewolf, not dragon. Interesting.

  “Well, I am off to work, so you can either run alongside or come with me in my car.”

  “There is a driver waiting for you and a guard placed in your place of work. I will watch your family home.”

  Oddly, it made her feel a bit better. “Fine, but don’t let my mom feed you. She puts chocolate in everything and it isn’t good for doggies.”

  “You know what I am?”

  She shrugged. “Of course. It comes with being what I am becoming. I can taste it in the air. Not great when you are dealing with trolls but better than not knowing what they are.”

  He grinned. “I wish you a good day at work. Everything will be as you left it when you return.”

  “Thank you. Don’t work too hard.”

  “My senses are on alert, and I have a Sudoku standing by. Thank you for your concern.” He winked and a car pulled down the driveway.

  She turned to watch the town car approach, and when she looked back, the wolf was hidden in the depths of the trees and bushes that surrounded her childhood home.

  She called her mother and informed her of the change in plans. If her mom wanted to use her car for the day, she was now welcome.

  The driver didn’t speak, but his cheekbones and scent screamed that he was at least partially goblin.

  She sat in the back, and he took her to her current office building without a question. Apparently, Terric did his homework.

  Her day was the same as any other. She went through her lecture, had them laughing and interested in what she was saying and then she began the exercises that would get them talking to strangers in little groups, and as they spoke, they gained confidence.

  By the end of the day, she was exhausted and completely unsurprised to see the goblin and car waiting for her again. Instead of home, it pulled up outside a restaurant.

  She looked at the restaurant entryway and her office clothing and sighed. There was nothing for it; she was going to look like she was doing an audit.

  To her surprise, the driver came with her and spoke to the host. The host inclined his head with respect and escorted her to a private room where Terric was on the phone with a notepad in front of him.

  The moment she came in, he ended the call and closed the portfolio that contained the notepad. “Good evening, Eilinora.”

  The host took her jacket and her bag and she was seated next to Terric with polite efficiency.

  “Good evening, Terric. You have certainly involved yourself in my routine.”

  He shrugged. “It is the nature of a dragon to know everything about his mate. I have called your mother and told her where you are. She was very polite.”

  She snorted. “I bet she was.”

  He looked at her and laughed. “You just breathed fire.”

  She slammed her hand onto her nose. “I didn’t.”

  “You did and you are right. It does look peculiar.”

  She laughed and peeked at him over her hand. “Did you bring books?”

  “In the trunk of the car. Tualion will bring them in for you when you get home.” He took her hand from her face and kissed the back of it. “Those clothes do not do you justice.”

  Elly shrugged. “I know, but they are as close to sexless as I can get, and for teaching, you need to be a neutral body at the head of the room. If the men in the offices I go to start to see me as a woman, their absorption of the material goes right down the tubes.”

  “Why do you work like that? Your father is very wealthy.”

  She laughed, and it was a harsh and broken sound. “He hasn’t been near our house for twelve years. His money is his own, and we have to scratch to make a living and keep our house. We pay it off and he re-mortgages it just to keep us in our places.”

  “Can’t your mother divorce him? It is all the rage in human circles.”

  “Sure, if she could find him. She hasn’t had the money to go in search of him, so we are bound to him, and he drains our efforts because the house is still in his name.”

  Terric’s features darkened. “Why don’t you leave?”

  “It is our home and the money is never there. Mom’s family married throughout the other races, so there is no one really to call upon for help. We get by.”

  He sat back, but she could see his mind whirling.

  A server appeared and brought them hot water and towels to wash their hands. Once those items were removed, it was time for the appetizers.

  “Pardon my presumption, but I took the liberty of ordering your meal so that you could return home in plenty of time to get some research done.”

  It was very thoughtful, but she could see he wanted to do some research of his own.

  The appetizers were tiny and each fitted on a flat-bottomed spoon. She slipped it into her mouth and smiled at the explosion of flavour followed by a wave of heat.

  “Very nice. Trying to start a fire, Terric?”

  He looked at her innocently and took the other one. “No, I am just sure that you can handle a little heat.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and sipped at the wine that the server presented. It was a nice red and had a good body to it. It was a rare luxury as well.

  “So, do you have servants at home, or do you just barbeque sheep when you are feeling peckish?”

  “I have a cook-housekeeper. She keeps things organized for me. Her name is Dualion, Tualion’s mother.” He smiled and sipped at his own wine.

  “Nice, so how did you get captured last night?” She had to know.

  “They told me they had possession of you and I was to do as they asked.”

  “Oh, wow. You are better than I am. They told me that you were in danger and I refused to follow them. I followed your energy instead.” She went quiet when the servers returned with a salad made of frightened lettuce and a drizzled dressing.

  She had never understood the new trend to lettuce that looked like it had been grown using some kind of electroshock therapy. If she ate lettuce, she liked it identifiable, romaine or iceberg. This frizzled stuff was just annoying.

  She was just delighted to finish it and put her fork down.

  “You do have better instincts than I did. I was so worried about your safety, I would have agreed to just about anything.” He shrugged and scorched his salad with a blast of heat, puffing the ashes off his plate with a light breath.

  “Cheater!” She was mainly upset she hadn’t thought of it first.

 

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