Chapter 12
Zenon’s need to protect his mate beat at him. The women speaking to her a short distance away were no threat. At least, he didn’t get the sense that they were. He would keep his eye on the one who had stabbed him—as well as the other who had been unpleasant with Nickie—to be certain, but his mate wasn’t afraid amongst them. Still, he didn’t like that they made her uncomfortable with their inquiries.
Nickie slipped her hand into his, calming his phoenix with her simple touch.
A tiny slip of a woman came forward, her face all but obscured by her long, black tresses. Hands stuck in her front pockets, she shuffled her feet as though shoring herself for what was to come. Her shoulders heaved with a deep breath before she shoved the hair from her face. “I’m Jackie,” she said, her voice as little as the rest of her.
“She’s the one who gets the information and deciphers it. Without her, we wouldn’t have been able to get the coordinates to find you.”
A blind man could have seen how uncomfortable the woman was. He hunched his shoulders and relaxed his stance as much as he could, but he was imposing. There was no getting around that. “Pleased to meet you, Jackie. I cannot convey the extent of my gratitude.”
Jackie’s gaze flickered to Nickie before landing on him again, not quite meeting his gaze. “It’s fine. We’re all in this together. I have the coordinates for the next possible location. We should hit the road.”
“I agree. Let’s eat, and we can head out,” Nickie said.
A moment later, the women dispersed, going back to their tasks—all but one. The woman who had shoved her blade through him stood there, her spine straight and her chin held high. With red, puffy eyes, she put on a brave front. “I’m sorry I stabbed you. I didn’t mean to,” she said in a rush, her gaze falling briefly to the ground before she snapped it back up to him.
He’d witnessed her reaction the day before—the shock and misery that had followed—but that didn’t excuse her behavior. “No, you meant to stab my mate. Perhaps she’s the one you should apologize to,” he said, unable to keep the sharpness from his tone. She was repentant, that was clear, but it would take time for him to forget what had transpired.
Michelle gasped, and her shoulders dropped a fraction. “But I didn’t really mean to. I don’t know what happened. One second, I was standing there, and the next…” a look of confusion, and perhaps a hint of fear, crossed the woman’s features before she shook it off.
“It’s fine. All our emotions were running high. We’ll be better prepared next time,” Nickie cut in.
“No, he’s right. It’s not okay,” Michelle spoke again, this time with more conviction. “I am sorry, Nickie. Under normal circumstances, I’d never hurt a fly. I promise it won’t happen again.”
Nickie released his hand and pulled the other woman into her arms. “I know. Apology accepted.”
The woman sniffled and clung to her for a moment longer before clearing her throat. “Right. Well, we’re breaking camp,” she said as she stepped back. “If you get your stuff out of the tent, I’ll take it apart for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Michelle shrugged. “It’ll keep me busy while everyone else gets their belongings squared away. I was awake before everyone, so I ate and stowed my things already.”
Nickie opened her mouth, her coming objection clear on her face. “Allow her to do this, mate. She wishes to make amends. Do not be surprised if she does so for some time,” Zenon spoke into Nickie’s mind. He had witnessed guilt and the effects it had on a person before.
“Thank you, Michelle. We appreciate it,” he said out loud, dismissing the other woman.
She nodded and turned away, heading toward the lake, mumbling as she did. The wind whisked the whispered words into nothingness, but not before unease settled into him. Even though the words she’d spoken to them had been heartfelt, and he didn’t doubt her sincerity, something wasn’t quite right. Until he figured out what, he would keep a close eye on her.
“Let’s get some food. I’m starving,” Nickie said, tugging on his hand. “I’ve warned the women to be on their best behavior, but I wouldn’t count on that happening.”
***
Nickie held on to the grab bar as the SUV lurched over a rut, sending her bouncing on the seat and nearly knocking her head on the roof. What the hell had she been thinking when agreeing to let Zenon try his hand at driving?
“Woah. Slow down there, big boy,” she shrieked even as she laughed. “You’re going to get us killed before we hit the interstate. We won’t make it to Calgary at all if you don’t ease up.”
Zenon’s deep-throated laughter filled the cab.
Yep, that’s why. Her mate hadn’t had anything to smile about, much less to laugh about, in far too long. So when they’d approached the SUV and he’d suggested he try driving to gain hands-on knowledge, she’d agreed. It had everything to do with learning, and not the excitement in his eyes, or the boyish smile he’d given her. Right. And if learning to drive on a dirt road made his eyes sparkle and his dimples pop out, she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“I have to take over when we get to the intersection,” she warned.
Zenon glanced in her direction, deflating a little.
“Not because I don’t think you’re doing a good job, but because we have laws about that kind of thing. You need a driver’s licence. We can’t afford to be stopped by the police. It would slow us down.”
“I understand, my Nickie.” His lips twitched, and he gave her a wink before speeding up again. They hit a small hill way too fast, and her stomach bottomed out as they rounded the top.
A pulse-like thudding sounded, faint at first, growing louder by the second.
“What is that? Have I broken our vehicle?” Zenon asked, taking his foot off the accelerator.
Before Nickie could say anything, the tinkling chimes of her cell rang from the cup holder where she’d dropped it when they’d gotten in. The whapping noise grew louder.
“Shit. That’s a helicopter. There could be a million reasons why a helicopter would be in the area, right?” she asked as she grabbed her phone and put it on speaker.
“Get out of sight. The road was blocked at the stop sign. We plowed through and they’re chasing us, we’re a few miles from the interstate,” Jas screamed over the sound of squealing tires.
“Shit. You guys okay?” Nickie’s heart thundered against her ribs. If anything happened to Jas, she’d never forgive herself. The only reason Jas was with them was because she’d been too scared to let Nickie go off on her own.
Zenon scraped the sides of the SUV against branches protesting their passage as he nosed his way into heavy brush on the side of the road. Tall trees loomed over them, obscuring them from sight.
“We’re going to try to lose them once we hit the freeway. It’s the same guys as yesterday. Ditch the car. They had to have put something on there to track it.”
“All of our gear is in here,” Nickie protested. When they’d packed up before leaving, they’d loaded the SUV to the brim so that Jas could ride in one of the other vehicles.
“Just do it! We can get more fucking stuff.” Jas screamed.
Another screech of tires sounded over the line. “Shit. Be careful.”
Jas’s heavy breathing was the only sound for a second. “Not now, damn it. We don’t have time for this,” Jas screamed again. “Son of a fucking bitch. I thought I was done with this.”
The more frightened Jas was, the more she swore.
“Done with what? Talk to me,” Nickie demanded.
“Jackie’s in rough shape. I have to help her. Go. We’ll meet up in Calgary.”
Nickie stared at her phone for a second after the call disconnected. The heavy whapping sounds outside faded as the chopper moved away. Either they’d decided to continue chasing the other two vehicles, or they were looking for a place to land. Either way, they had to get moving.
“What do you want fr
om the back?” Zenon asked, shoving his door open.
Miles from civilization, it would take hours to get anywhere. Carrying gear would only slow them down. “Nothing, let’s go.”
Shoving against the branches, she opened her door wide enough to slip out. As soon as she did, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose, and a sick feeling soured her stomach. Grabbing her backpack, she shoved some clothes into it, and a couple of bottles of water. The pouch she carried her cash in was sewn into the pack itself, and she never went anywhere without it. “We have to get out of here,” she said into Zenon’s mind, not wanting to make any more noise than they already had.
How the hell were they going to outrun those mercenaries if they were already closing in?
Zenon gave her a peculiar look, his head tilted slightly to the side. “We will not outrun them. Do you trust me, mate?”
The memories of the battles he’d fought before his capture flooded her mind. If he didn’t plan to outrun them, did he plan to stay and fight? They had no way of knowing who or what they were facing. Zenon had been captured in a time where weapons consisted of swords and dark magic.
“We can’t fight them. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“No, we cannot. But we can fly.”
An image of her clasped in great talons and soaring through the air came into her mind, taking her breath away. She didn’t know if she was more scared or excited by the prospect. She’d yearned for adventure for most of her life and had been denied. Now was her chance.
Nickie peered into the deeper forest. The natural sounds around there were quiet—too quiet. Heart pounding, she gave him a shaky smile. “I trust you. Let’s fly.”
Chapter 13
Rather than lead her deeper into the forest, Zenon took her back to the road. The uneasy feeling churning in her gut grew. “We have to keep out of sight.”
“If I shift here, the forest will burn.”
As soon as they hit the gravel, Zenon stripped out of his T-shirt and sweats, handing both to her. In the seconds it took her to shove them into her pack, a humming sound cut through the silence. It was there, yet not. She strained to hear it, going so far as to turn to peer down the road toward where she thought it might be coming from.
“Stop. Focus on me,” Zenon commanded, his voice harsher—more desperate—than she’d ever heard it, but as though they had a mind of their own, her feet took a step away from him, then another.
Fear skittered down her spine. How well did she know Zenon? She’d seen his memories, witnessed his fury and the violence that lived within him. Her heart slammed against her ribs. No one suffered the way he had and didn’t seek vengeance. And he expected her to just give herself up to him and let him fly away with her. The memory of him grabbing that poor man from the ground and taking him so high into the sky before dropping the man like a hot stone blasted into her mind. The screams of terror that had filled the night… He hadn’t batted an eye. Hadn’t been sorry for doing it in the least.
“Nickie, no. Don’t believe what you’re seeing.” His words sounded muffled and far away. Still, it wasn’t far enough.
The urge to run slammed into her. She had to get away from him. It was the only way she’d survive. Not wasting a second to glance behind her, she bolted. But Zenon was too fast. She managed to get a few feet of distance between them before strong arms pulled her against a hard chest. Zenon’s scent engulfed her, and she sucked it in. Her mind whirled in an almost manic spiral that left her dizzy.
“They are using dark magic against you. You don’t want to get away from me. Listen to my voice. Focus on me. I would never hurt you.”
Breathing deep, she managed to shove the humming to the side, though ignoring it was impossible. Fear and doubt ebbed away, leaving her shaking. Darker tones replaced the softer ones that had tempted her to follow moments before. Even as she fought against them, they drew her once more. A small whimper slipped past her lips. “Please, take me away,” she begged as the humming grew louder, more insistent.
“I only need a moment to shift. Do not run, mate,” he warned. “I will not let you go.”
Nickie covered her ears with her hands, attempting to block the sound, but it was in her mind, not outside. Her lungs burned as she struggled to take enough air in. Faster than ever before, her heart jackhammered at a speed that couldn’t sustain life for an extended period of time. “Do it quick. It’s getting stronger. I’m scared.”
Warmth seeped into her, easing some of the tension coiling her insides tight. Zenon’s presence amplified, blocking an unknown path. It was like a wall being erected at record speed, making the insidious whisper of sound fade until she could take a deep breath again.
“I will never let you go,” he repeated, both a warning and reassurance.
The certainty in his voice was enough to fix her attention once more. As soon as she took a step forward, he whirled her around, capturing her gaze. “Focus on me. Only on me.”
When he shoved her backpack in her arms, she hoisted it up and secured it, nodding her agreement. She didn’t look away, not even to blink. She needed Zenon to keep her grounded. Otherwise, she might fly apart and never find all her pieces again with the encroaching madness.
“Count to three, and I will have you in the air. You will be safe,” he ordered, softer now that some of the haze had lifted from her mind.
“One,” he counted along with her.
A shimmery light exploded from his skin, giving him an ethereal glow that was both beautiful and frightening. The hum surged into her mind once more, demanding she run, but she couldn’t turn her gaze from the sight before her. His body expanded. Arms spread wide, he threw his head back, and a deep, warbling sound came from him. Had rapture not transformed his features into one of serenity, she might have thought something was wrong.
“Two,” came his voice, deeper than before, more menacing even, but with his warmth still inside her, she wasn’t afraid.
In a blast of light and color, his phoenix emerged. The dangerous animal eyed her warily as though afraid of her somehow. He came closer, his mighty wings flapping. Flames licked the feathers in a display of power and might as he shook them out. He stepped closer, his intent—and his determination—shining in his eyes.
“Three,” she whispered onto the mental link that led to Zenon. Maybe he could still hear her while in his bird’s body.
“I can hear you. I am the phoenix. We are one being, not two.”
“Won’t your fire burn me?” she asked, a sliver of fear snaking its way inside her. She didn’t want to delay their leaving, but she didn’t want to burn to a crisp, either.
“You withstood my transition—my rising—you will not burn. Face away from me, mate, and I will take you to the heavens, and far from this danger,” he promised.
This time, when she turned, even though the hum remained stronger than ever, she had no desire to run. If anything, she wanted to lean back and absorb some of the power thickening the air behind her. The wind at her back whipped her hair around her face. One second, she stood there, her back to the phoenix, and the next, talons wrapped themselves around her waist. The sharp claws gripped her tightly, but not uncomfortably so.
A soft jerk was all the warning she had before air replaced the ground at her feet. Strong flaps of his wings brought them higher until she could see the tops of the trees, and still, they kept going. Down on the ground, not a quarter of a mile from where they’d stood, the glint of metal drew her attention. Had the puffy cloud covering the sun not moved at that moment, and the sun not hit that spot, she’d have missed it. A soldier dressed in army fatigues lay on the ground. He didn’t budge, his eye glued to his scope as he waited. Had Zenon not stopped her from running, she would have been the first thing in the path of his cross hairs. For some reason, she didn’t think he’d have thought twice to shoot and eliminate her in his quest to recapture the phoenix.
“I would have destroyed him long before he would have had the op
portunity to harm you, mate,” Zenon said as he lifted her higher.
“How can he not see us? You’re huge.”
“The same way I descended into your camp unnoticed. I can hide amongst the sky and the clouds if I choose to do so.”
Needing to know more, she searched her mind for the information. Although it was there, she couldn’t figure it out. It had to do with the phoenix’s flames, the heat, and the air around them. Not that it mattered in the end, as long as they were safe.
Now that the enemy wasn’t close, the nervous energy strumming through her turned to excitement. Hers? His? She couldn’t be sure. She’d never felt so free. Maybe she ought to be scared, but without having to examine it, the certainty that Zenon had her and wouldn’t let her fall filled her.
Zenon dipped to the left, catching a warm current of air, which lifted them higher still. “Being stuck in your human form for so long must have been hell after soaring through the skies like this,” she whispered, awed at the view of the countryside.
Silence stretched between them for so long, she thought he wouldn’t answer.
“In some ways, being detached from my phoenix was more painful than death.”
This time, there was no doubt where the pain suffusing her was coming from. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
***
Zenon flew over a canyon, spotting game far below. Though he wasn’t hungry, he yearned to hunt. He needed to prove to his mate that he could and would provide for her always, but with the enemy giving chase, he didn’t dare stop. Even with their helicopters, they would never catch a phoenix in flight, but that didn’t mean there were no other traps—magical ones that could take him down in an instant if they knew where to spring them. Luckily for him, the minds of men hadn’t changed so drastically over the centuries that he couldn’t subvert their attempts. He was wiser and had learned from his mistakes.
A tickle of dark energy to his left had him leaving the jet stream and dipping into cooler air once more. With his body heat to warm her, Nickie would not get cold. Even if they flew into frigid climates, he would ensure her comfort. His only regret was that he hadn’t had the opportunity to position her better before taking off.
Rising Darkness_Phoenix Shifter Fantasy Romance Page 9