Chapter Nine
The following morning, we took advantage of the nearby creek to wash away the sweat and evidence of our nighttime activities.
August was extra growly, refusing to even make eye contact. Jazriel was the opposite, barely able to keep his hands off me. There was no denying I loved it, but I knew I needed to talk to him before the physical intimacy went too far.
My chance came when we reached a place where the trail narrowed to the point the horses had to follow in a single file line. Jazriel was in the front, and August, who was still quiet, had chosen to bring up the rear.
“I know you can’t answer me, but there are things about me you need to know.” I ran my fingers through his mane, enjoying the silk strands against my skin.
The pegasus turned to look at me, human intelligence shining in his eyes.
“I’m a phoenix.”
For the first time since I’d been riding on his back, Jazriel stumbled.
Unsure if that was a good or bad sign, I decided to push ahead. “I’m Iolani, Queen of Cucalas—the phoenix afterlife. There was an incident where I ended up in this world. Unfortunately, that caused the veil between the two worlds to become unstable. I think if I returned to Cucalas, it would restore the balance and repair the veil. But I can’t go back yet. The spirit of a dark phoenix escaped from Cucalas and is loose on earth.”
I paused, taking in a deep breath. “Azurea has to be stopped before she finds a host body that can hold her.”
When I fell silent, Jazriel squished me between his wings in an odd sort of hug.
My fingers stroked his feathers. “To complete my mission, I need to increase my power. Apparently, bonding with mates will give me that needed power. But as much as I need that power to defeat Azurea and handle the veil, I don’t want to bind someone to me for only that purpose. I’m not even sure I can take my mates through the veil with me.
“I want to take a mate because it’s something I never dreamed I’d get to have. That type of relationship and intimacy is something I want to share with a mate for the rest of my life.”
Jazriel ruffled his feathery wings, his ears forward as he listened to me spill everything.
“I don’t want us to claim each other, and then you wonder if I was just using you. If this isn’t the life you wanted,” I steadied my voice, “or if I’m not the woman you want, then I want you to know I will understand if you walk away.”
The pegasus shook his head, tossing his mane.
“Jazriel, please don’t stay with me out of guilt or thinking you owe me anything for the night we met. I’ve survived one mate not wanting the mate bond, I can survive another.” Leaning forward, I ran my hand down his neck. “I don’t even know where I will be when the veil is closed between our worlds. My life isn’t normal, so chaos is all I have to offer you for the foreseeable future. And my heart.”
He shifted from beast to man, twisting around and catching me in his arms. It was fast and so smooth that I was left gaping up at him. “I accept.”
“What?” I asked, my mind still reeling to comprehend his quick shift.
“You offered me a life of excitement and adventure. Why wouldn’t I want a life with a fiery mate with a fearless heart and the sexy body of a goddess?” His lips sucked and kissed their way up my neck.
It wasn’t until that moment that I understood how scared I’d been that Jazriel would make the same decision as August and walk away from me. Although that wasn’t quite accurate, since August kept claiming he was going to leave, but never seemed to follow through.
My heart swelled with hope. “Jazriel, you can take all the time you need to think?—”
“I don’t need time. My decision is made. You proposed, and I’m not letting you take it back.” He teased, catching my bottom lip between his teeth and giving it a playful suck before releasing it.
“But I didn’t—” I began, only to be cut off when he shifted back to his pegasus form in the blink of an eye. Once again, I found myself sitting astride his back.
“How did you do that?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t get an answer.
Jazriel pranced in response, his neck tall, tail lifted, and hooves high-stepping.
I giggled, my heart feeling light for the first time since I’d arrived on earth. “You are such a showoff.”
My laughter excited something in the pegasus, and he continued to alternate between prancing and trotting for the next few minutes. When his stride lengthened to a gentle canter that had my body rocking on his, I realized I was in trouble.
I gasped and immediately closed my mouth to hide any further noises. But the stallion slowed to a walk, turning his head to study me. My cheeks burned and a knowing glint entered his eye.
“Jazriel, whatever you are thinking about, don’t—” I warned, but it fell on purposefully deaf ears.
With a wild toss of his head, and what sounded like the horse version of laughter, Jazriel lunged forward. He immediately fell back into that dangerous loping canter.
This time, he didn’t hold me in place with his wings. Instead, he held them out to his sides, allowing my body to roll against his powerful muscles beneath me.
It was beyond embarrassing how quickly that feral need built inside me, and it was a matter of minutes before my legs gripped his sides, hissing his name through clenched teeth as I rode out what I realized must be an orgasm.
He didn’t immediately stop, and I climaxed a second and then a third time. My eyes closed and my body trembled as I clung to him. Jazriel finally took mercy on me and returned to his smooth, floating gait, tucking his wings against my limp body.
A soft caress brushed my mind, and I heard him whisper. Body. Soul. You are mine.
August spentthe remaining days of the trail ride alternating which horse he rode on to ensure they didn’t become overexerted. Despite my efforts to convince August my fall hadn’t been bad, I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t buying what I was selling. For once, the two men agreed on something, and I was only allowed to ride Jazriel for the remainder of the trip.
I’d rolled my eyes. Was this what Ryls had to deal with her mates? I was fairly close to invincible, yet they were treating me as though I were a glass doll. August didn’t know my identity, but I had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t have changed his stance in the slightest.
The third day, I was once again lifted onto Jazriel’s back. I’d spent the previous night cradled between the men, but to my disappointment, there were no repeats of the first night’s activities.
The long hours on the trail without having to guide my mount gave me the opportunity to read through the notebook. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I learned the truth of Jazriel’s treatment.
Countless injections, breaking of bones every time he attempted to escape, the horrific ways they’d tried to force him to shift so they could torture his secrets from him. Through it all, Jazriel never broke. He never shifted to his human form, and he’d refused to show them any of the abilities he might possess.
I’d healed the outward signs of his decades of torture, but I didn’t know how to help with his inner scars. By the time we stopped to camp our final night, I was emotionally drained from what I’d read and imagined.
August dismounted beside us and stretched his back. Jazriel shifted, catching me in his arms and cradling me to his chest.
“There is a river ahead. The horses are too tired to cross tonight, so we’ll make camp here.” Jazriel set me on my feet. “I’m going to go check it out and find the safest place to cross.”
August nodded in agreement. “I’ll come with you. It shouldn’t be hard to grab a few fish from the river for dinner as well.”
Jazriel blew me a kiss and the two men disappeared into the woods. Once they were out of sight, I pushed to my feet and began removing the saddles from August’s horse and the rest of the horses who were carrying our gear. The guys were going to fuss about me exhausting myself, but I couldn’t stand around waiting for them to take care of me.
I’d just finished starting a small fire and setting the frying pan next to it when I heard a woman cry out from the woods. Standing up, I turned toward where I thought the sound had come from and strained to listen.
Again, the pained cry came from the woods. Without thinking twice, I rushed toward it. As I darted between trees, I would pause every few minutes to listen for the woman’s cry, and each time it was closer.
Was it an injured or lost hiker, or could someone be keeping her captive? With woods as untouched as these, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out some people used the wildness for nefarious purposes. Just like the men who’d held Jazriel.
I’d braced myself for just about every possible scenario, except the one where a mountain lion emerged from the thick undergrowth with its claws extended. She slammed into me, sending us tumbling to the forest floor, where the big cat lunged for my throat.
I could’ve turned her to ash with a burst of flames, but I didn’t want to injure the magnificent creature for doing what she was built to do. Calling flames to my hand, I waved them in front of her snarling face, and sighed in relief when she leaped away with a roar.
Not ready to give up on having me for dinner, the mountain lion circled me, her eyes reflecting the blue glow of my fire. Pushing to my feet, I began to back away. The oversized kitty cat stalked after me, her tail flicking in irritation.
Keeping my voice soothing, I tried to reason with her. “I swear phoenix doesn’t taste like chicken.”
She hissed, closing the distance between us. My wings ripped through my shirt, and I turned to leap in the air, but the cat was fast and her claws sank into my back and her sharp fangs bit down where my right wing met my shoulder.
I screamed as agony tore through my wing. Gathering my magic, I sent a small burst of electricity through her, hoping it would be mild enough to only stun her for a moment so I could escape.
It worked, and she dropped from my back so fast that I staggered…
Then tumbled end over end down a rock-covered bank…
Before finally crashing into a rushing river.
I was quickly sucked beneath the surface, where my wings got caught in the violent current, making it impossible to resurface. My efforts to shift were futile. I simply couldn’t focus with my body slamming into submerged boulders and my wings feeling as though they were being ripped from my back.
Managing to break the surface, I sucked air into my oxygen-starved lungs. A heartbeat later, I was yanked back beneath the water. I continued to fight the powerful river, cursing my inability to portal myself away.
My lungs began to burn and my muscles grew weak, warning me I was running out of time. But my battle ended a moment later when my head impacted against a boulder with a sickening crack. My body went limp as death claimed me.
The only thing worse than drowning in a river was regenerating underwater to find you need to fight for your life. Again.
Without my wings pulling me down, I kicked hard and managed to break the surface.
Just in time to catch a beautiful view of the golden hour sun turning the river gold as I toppled over a waterfall.