Chapter 65
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Aiden muttered to Jamie. “This is so dangerous.”
“You said you wouldn’t drop me,” Jamie said. He was seated on the back of Aiden’s phoenix, his hands gripping tight to his feathers.
“We will not drop you,” the phoenix insisted. “My human is just worried over our father’s temper.”
“I’m afraid of his flame thrower,” Aiden corrected.
“Remember, phoenix fire can’t hurt me,” Jamie said.
“We don’t know if there are exceptions. I’d rather not take any chances,” Aiden answered.
They flew between the trees within the National Park. Aiden spotted an area up ahead with a wide opening between trees.
“Are you ready?” he asked his beast.
“Let’s do this.”
The phoenix burst out of the forest straight up into the sky like a rocket.
“Oh, man,” Jamie groaned.
The phoenix deftly leveled out and headed back toward Grey Lake, staying low for Jamie’s sake. He scanned the skies, searching for his father. He sensed he was close, but where?
“Him!” a deep, enraged voice shouted inside Aiden’s head.
The phoenix glanced to his right. His father’s beast was barreling through the air as if he were being chased.
“Oh, my God!” Jamie’s grip tightened.
“You brought him! That deviant!” his father howled.
“He’s my mate!” Aiden answered.
“Jamie? Any time would be great,” Aiden said to his mate.
“Gotcha.”
Aiden watched as his father slowed his approach.
“How dare you bring him! You’d still be by my side if not for him!”
Aiden’s phoenix screeched in fury at the creature who sired him.
“If you won’t yield, I’ll have to use the child! I’ll find a way. This will be the last time you disappoint me.”
“He looks super pissed,” Jamie said.
Aiden watched the larger beast’s eyes rapidly flash from yellow to orange to yellow to orange again. He aimed his beak directly at Jamie. Oh no!
“Quick, before he fires. Attack!”
Aiden’s phoenix opened fire with a focused beam of white heat before his father could get off his shot.
His father banked left, just barely avoiding the flame. He zoomed up into a vertical climb and turned, trying to flank Aiden’s creature.
“How’s it going in there?” Aiden asked Jamie. “Can you distract him or disable him?”
“Trying, I’m messing with his files. Keep attacking. His mind’s a mess. He’s thrashing about. You caught him off guard. We caught him off guard.”
“Files?” Aiden’s phoenix inquired.
Aiden answered his beast. “ Don’t ask. Just strike! Don’t let him get off a shot. Protect mate!”
The phoenix sped after his father, shooting flames each time he maneuvered close enough. Each shot just missed him. Whatever Jamie was doing seemed to be slowing his father a bit. However, his father’s larger wing span was still an advantage. Aiden could feel the fatigue weighing on his beast as he continued the chase.
“We’re so close.” Aiden encouraged his phoenix.
“I wonder where the help is?” Jamie muttered.
“What help?” Aiden asked.
“When you first asked for help, Quinn said he had an idea and disappeared.”
“I never trusted that guy,” Aiden groaned.
Seconds later, Jamie gasped. “Holy cow! Maybe you should,” Jamie said. “Look!”
Aiden looked up, and his gut twisted. Oh, my God! He felt his phoenix’s surprise. In the distance, ahead of his father, another phoenix flapped enormous bright crimson wings. This phoenix was entirely red in color with stunning and scary bright green eyes. It was even bigger than his father.
“What the h—” Aiden stuttered.
“Alden. I should have known.” A deep yet elegant female voice filled his head.
“Can you hear that?” Aiden asked Jamie.
“Yes. I don’t know why, but yes.”
“You can hear me, children, because I am allowing you to,” the female phoenix said. “What chaos is dear old Alden causing this time?”
“Serena, this is none of your concern,” Williamson said. “This is a family matter.”
“I can hear him now, too,” Jamie said.
“Again, human, this is due to my magic. Now hush!”
Jamie tugged harder on the phoenix’s feathers.
“Family matter? It looks like you’re trying to destroy Tessa’s town ,” Serena said. She flew closer to the old man’s beast and then stopped her pursuit, hovering in the air facing him.
“Tessa’s dead. I’m sure you know this!” he spat. He halted and remained aloft between Serena and Aiden’s beast.
“And she lives on in another body. You know this, too,” Serena snapped. “What is your end game? What do you want now? Haven’t you caused enough trouble for the humans?”
“He wants Aiden’s powers and body. He’s dying,” Jamie said silently. “Please don’t kill us,” he added.
“I don’t kill innocents, little wolf,” she replied to Jamie. “You’re safe.”
The red phoenix flapped her wings and flew closer to his father, circling between him and Aiden’s beast. “So, you’d take your own son’s body to continue your miserable existence. You are the monster Tessa said you were. I can’t allow that.”
“You cannot interfere. This is not your home. You have no right—”
“I have every right. When one of my Guardians called for help, I gained the right,” she said. “Now, you’re going to either come with me peacefully so the Council can deal with you, or you’re going to die. You decide. I don’t care either way.”
“Council? What Council?” Jamie asked Aiden.
“No freaking clue.”
His father scoffed. “Threatening to kill me in front of my only son. Now, who’s the monster? I thought you were above that?”
“You deserve it,” Aiden spat. “You kidnapped my mate. Kept him locked in a cage. Tortured him for two years. Experimented on countless shifters who came to you for help. You tried to kill Tessa during her transition. And then you attempted to steal the infant she became. You finally tried to convince me to give you some of my powers so you can live longer. You don’t deserve to live! You lost that right! You need to die!”
Serena’s eyes glittered with malice. Aiden swore he saw her scowl. “Well, now, your past actions have made the choice for me.” She addressed Aiden’s beast. “Son, I want you to burn him. I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave. You deserve this kill.”
Before Aiden could communicate with his beast, his phoenix shot pure white fire at his father’s chest. Aiden felt his absolute, unrelenting fury as the energy poured from his core. He saw the utter surprise in his father’s eyes right before the impact. Serena didn’t have to help. Alden Williamson’s body disintegrated into nothing.
He was gone. It was all over.
“Tell the others he’s dead,” Aiden said to Jamie.
“I will.”
Aiden’s beast shuddered when Serena turned her attention to him.
“Thank you,” Aiden said.
“I’m sorry for what he did to you and your people. Is Tessa safe?”
“Yes. Before she transitioned, she asked me to keep watch over the town until she grew of age in her new form.”
Serena blinked. “Yes, but I sense some hesitation…”
“There’s just so much I don’t know. She wasn’t able to train me because I only learned to shift a short while ago.”
“It was Alden’s fault,” Jamie added.
“I’m sure it was,” she said. “I think you’re doing just fine. Besides, you have her Guardians to help you, right?”
“Yes, but how did you know?”
“Because the one who asked for help is one of my Guardians. You have good people supporting you. I’ve heard all about them: Iris, May, Maeve, Piper, Leah, and your mate. You’ll grow and learn with them. It will be OK. Tell Tessa that Serena will come see her in about twenty years.”
“OK,” Aiden said. “But her new name is Amber. Tessa picked it before she transitioned.”
Serena laughed, which was nice, but still somewhat frightening. “Of course, she did. She always liked that name.”
“You knew her well?” Jamie asked.
Serena chuckled again. “Of course, I did. She was my big sister. She was exceptionally bossy, but she had a heart of gold. I loved her.” She let out a sound that seemed quite sad. “Well, you better get back to your Guardians. Get some rest.”
“Wait, what is the Council?” Jamie asked. “Can you help Aiden train? Are there more of you? We have questions.”
Serena laughed once again. “I have to get back to my home. I can’t be gone for long. My people need me. I’ll send Quinn with some answers once he’s settled.”
“Thank you!” Jamie shouted.
“Yes, thank you for everything!” Aiden said.
She flapped her enormous wings and disappeared into the distance.
Jamie pulled on the beast’s feathers. “Let’s get home. We have to tell the others.”
“OK, OK,” his phoenix said.
“I thought you already told the others about my father,” Aiden said.
“Oh, I did. I meant we have to tell them about Serena. I can’t believe there’s another phoenix out there.”