Phoenix Under Fire: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries

by Crystal Dawn

  “You have it, of course.”

  “I need more than that. I need a nondisclosure spell.”

  “How do you even know of such things?” Royal said with a growl of frustration. He glared at Annie.

  “I am very old. Annie didn’t tell me so stop glaring at her.”

  “Fine, I will agree to those terms.”

  “Then cast the spell and I’ll tell you.”

  “Let the secret once revealed be forever and truly concealed. As I have said so mote it be.” Magic filled the air and it was done.

  “We are Phoenix.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “I assure you it is.”

  “What powers do you have?” Royal asked interested despite everything.

  “Mostly control of fire.”

  “I don’t see how that will help us.”

  “Perhaps you should reconsider taking the money?”

  “We will revisit these negotiations. Will you agree to security services?”

  “Yes, but they will have limits set beforehand.”

  “Very well,” He said reluctantly. “Why don’t we share lunch and take some time to think this all through?”

  It was clear to Annie her father hadn’t been prepared for Ram’s father or the revelation that they were Phoenix. He’d also not expected to be forced to keep silent about it. Information was power and her father had hoped to leverage his knowledge into a lot of power. Phoenix were legendary and knowledge of their existence was valuable. Royal was aware Aha was their leader, but he had no way of knowing in what capacity or if their leadership was hereditary.

  They left the room and made their way to the dining room. Annie was still the recipient of her father’s displeasure, but it was bothering her less and less as the day progressed. “I’ve spelled the room for privacy. While we eat, I want to be brought up to date on the situation with Hubolla,” Royal demanded.

  “There’s not much to report beyond the fact that he’s attempting to establish bases of power all over Florida. He’s managed to either infiltrate or corrupt existing members of the local police departments so we aren’t sure who to trust. Until we get more intel, we can’t take any further action,” Ram explained.

  “Further? You’ve taken some action?” Royal asked.

  “Not intentionally. We were scouting and one of the police officers was abducted, when we went in to recover the officer, there was a fight. We captured one of the leaders,” Ram said.

  “Shouldn’t you have left her in place?” Royal asked.

  “Her?” Ram questioned.

  “Yes, the female officer you were discussing,” Royal replied testily.

  “Who said it was a female?” Ram asked.

  “You did.”

  “No, I didn’t. Have you been getting inside information?”

  “I may have overheard something.”

  “From who?”

  “One of the police officers in the chain of command,” Royal admitted.

  “So, you thought we should have allowed her to be raped and tortured?”

  “Of course not. Who said anything about that?”

  “What did you think they wanted her for?”

  “Well, I hadn’t thought about it. I see this isn’t my area of expertise. What are we planning to do next?” Royal asked.

  “I’m glad you asked. I’d like you to help us contact all the different paranormal groups,” Ram explained.

  “Which groups?”

  “All of them. Maybe you could start with mermen and work on the less known groups after that.”

  “Less known? Mermen are about the least known group there is.”

  “What about dragons and unicorns?”

  Royal laughed, but his laughter cut off abruptly when no one else joined in. “You’re joking.”

  “I assure you, they do exist.”

  “Do you want me to find a Dodo bird while I’m at it?”

  “No, those no longer exist.”

  “Any clues on where to look for these legendary creatures?” Royal asked.

  “I’ve heard you know how to reach the mermen. The unicorns are said to be hiding among wild horses and living in the land of the Gods which we assume means Greece. Dragons, well they like caves high in the mountains. I’m sure you have some magic at your disposal to locate them,” Ram observed.

  “Didn’t Annie explain that it’s not easy to locate things or beings?”

  “She did indeed, but she’s much younger than you so you’ll know more. There’s no way you’ve told her everything you can do.” Ram stared hard at Royal and saw the truth. He’d not told her a lot of what he could really do.

  He knew Annie thought her father had been honest and upfront with her, but it didn’t look like he had. Even her magical education wasn’t all she thought it was. Maybe there were good reasons for Royal to hide things from her like plausible deniability, but he found it hard to believe. Her father wasn’t a complete asshole. Ram thought he loved his daughter. He just wasn’t the kind of father his own dad was and Annie had deserved better.

  From what Ram had seen and heard from Annie, her mom was wonderful. Maybelle just hadn’t won the mate lottery. Royal had too many obvious faults his mate had tried to make up for, but sometimes couldn’t. Ram praised the ancestors, not just for his dad, but for his amazing mom as well. His sister was a doll, too. His whole family was loyal and loving.

  Annie would have them too now. They would all love her, because from what he’d seen, everyone that knew her did. She was someone you wanted watching your back or working beside you. He remembered the truth spell and how easily she had cast it. When she interrogated him, the man had been eager to give her whatever she wanted. Ram would bet she’d never interrogated anyone before.

  Servers were coming in and leaving, dropping off food and drink as they enjoyed their meal. Ram needed to look for a cook and a housekeeper since his mate was used to this. Maybe just one for now since it was just the two of them and he’d have more time to find the other and a nanny later. The need to procreate was hitting him hard now that he’d found his special one.

  “The food is wonderful. Compliments to your cook,” Aha expressed.

  “Thank you. I’ll let her know. She’s been with us a long time,” Royal admitted.

  They continued to eat and dessert was brought out. Crème Brulee and it looked marvelous. Ram had to admit he had a giant sweet tooth. His eyes rolled back in his head at the first taste. “This is incredible!”

  By the time dessert was done, they were all stuffed. “I’m glad everyone enjoyed the meal. I will see about contacting the mermen and asking around about dragons and unicorns. I hope I don’t get laughed at too much,” Royal admitted.

  “If you do, you will have the last laugh when the others see these legendary creatures,” Ram declared.

  “I’m sure,” Royal said, but managed to say it in a way that let everyone know he didn’t mean it. Whatever. They were about to leave and Ram was glad. Hanging out with Royal wasn’t on his list of fun things to do.

  “Lunch was lovely, but my mate will be wondering what happened to us,” Aha explained.

  “The little woman runs things, eh?” Royal said.

  “Only when she wants to,” The king agreed. It sounded like Royal was being insulting, but his dad refused to take it that way. They all rose and headed toward the door and Royal walked with them.

  “Maybe you should bring the boss when you come back next time,” Royal said, hiding an insult in a joke.

  “I’ll see if she’s willing to come along,” Aha said.

  They said their goodbyes and left quickly making their getaway. “I’m sorry,” Annie said. “He’s usually more diplomatic than that. Maybe it’s the disappointment of being presented with our mating completed.”

  “It’s not your fault, child. Your father is a grown man, older than any human would be. He’s in charge of his own behavior,” Aha insisted.

  They all loaded up in
an SUV and headed back to their headquarters. Ram’s mother, Cleopatra, was waiting for them. “I’m glad you made it back. I’ve been on the phone with Maybelle discussing your mating/marriage ceremony.”

  “What did Mom say?” Annie asked.

  “Mainly that your father wants an elaborate ceremony starting with a ball to announce your engagement. I’ve not been to a ball in many years. We’re meeting with your mom tomorrow for lunch and then we’re going to shop for gowns and accessories. I’m very excited about it,” Cleo said.

  “Who is going to plan the event?” Annie asked.

  “The three of us will discuss it and divide up the responsibilities. Your mom said your family owns an event hall with a ballroom that we’ll use for the event,” Cleo mentioned. Ram and Aha looked glassy-eyed. “You two can go catch up.”

  “Thank you,” Ram said kissing his mother’s cheek before he gave Annie a scorching hot kiss and a wink. His dad gave Cleo a hot kiss too.

  Ram led his dad to the rec room while their females headed off the other way. They were relieved not to have to listen to talk of ballgowns and flowers. It wasn’t that they didn’t appreciate the beauty of both those things, they just preferred to see them at the ball rather than hear all the steps the females went through to acquire the right ones.

  They picked a table and his dad sat down while Ram went to the bar and got them each a beer. “Do you want to play cards or watch some TV?” Ram asked.

  “I’m easy to please.”

  “Let’s watch some fights on TV,” Ram said as he turned it on and found a match.

  They sat down watching two human males pound the shit out of each other. The skill and graceful moves the men used were worth watching even though they didn’t have the speed and strength of the paranormal kinds. A quick uppercut and the camera zoomed in on the blood and spit flying through the air. The show was primal as the two male animals inflicted as much pain on each other as possible.

  The part Ram found the most amazing was at the end of the fight, with one declared the victor, both men hugged each other and the announcer pointed out they were close friends. There was a time Ram would have said no humans were able to fight like that and put it behind them without the friendship ending. A good fight with fair rules and sportsmanship applied was a thing of beauty to observe.

  “That was a good fight. I’ve not had one like it in a while,” His dad declared.

  “A battle is coming and we will all be getting our fists bloody,” Ram commented.

  “You truly believe it will be that serious?”

  “I have seen the signs that it will be. The humans Hubolla recruits have no honor and they will follow him to their deaths. Perhaps most of them had sad lives and feel they aren’t worth continuing. More insight into their reasons might help.”

  “I doubt they’ll share that with you. They are probably the type to attack first and get facts later.”

  “It’s true that the ones we met aren’t very smart. If they were, they wouldn’t want to be used.”

  “Did you ask those you captured why they served him?”

  “The one in leadership said he paid well. One of the guys was protecting his family. The other guy just enjoyed feeling superior to the others,” Ram explained.

  “Before too long, we will raid one of their locations. I wish to see these recruits myself.”

  “You just want to fight.”

  “I do. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. I like to fight too. At least we’ll get a chance to fight together.”

  “What of your mate?”

  “I don’t think Annie fights. We’ve not discussed it.”

  “Your mother will expect to come with us.”

  “True and if Annie finds out, she may too.”

  “What will you do if she does?”

  “I’ll do what I have to do. I’ll take her with us and watch her as closely as possible.”

  “I don’t think that will be a problem. She’s a strong witch and can protect herself with magic.”

  “I think her father has discouraged that. I’m not sure she’ll want to go against his wishes.”

  “Oh really? Did he encourage her to spell for her mate?”

  “Okay, you have me there. Maybe she’s ready to break free from the paternal controls. We’ll find out soon if you are sure you want to plan a raid?”

  Chapter 10

  Planning the Ball

  Sometimes life gave you the best and the worst all at the same time. That was Annie’s thoughts as she listened to her soon to be mother in law go on and about the ball that had to be planned and perfect in three months time. It wasn’t that Annie couldn’t plan with the best of them or even that she didn’t like balls, it was that she preferred to be in the background working and planning rather than the center of attention.

  This ball would bring the attention of the whole paranormal world squarely on Ram and her. The questions would be unending and the answers vague and unavailable. She could say they met through work, not really a lie. What is he? The love of my life. Not a lie either, but who would be happy with that answer.

  “Annie?” Cleo nudged her.

  “Yes? I’m sorry I was gathering wool.”

  “That means the same as lost in thought, yes?”

  “It does. I don’t mind these events when they are centered on someone else.”

  “I understand. I myself prefer smaller gatherings of family and friends. They are more meaningful.”

  “Exactly! I won’t even know half the people my father invites. That’s just crazy.”

  “It’s hard to be a political pawn, but try to remember it’s for the good of all kinds. We need to get everyone together so they are all aware of what’s going on. Ignorance breeds carelessness. If there’s enough of that, we could lose this war.”

  “You’re right. Maybe thinking of it as a campaign will make it easier. These are the troops and we’re recruiting more.”

  “That’s exactly what we will be doing. Ram and your father will be gathering any and all paranomals and trusted humans to fight this threat. It has already gotten a foothold and now it must be rooted out,” Cleo explained.

  “You take an active role in the fighting?”

  “I do. Sometimes I fight at my mate’s back, but other times I command my own team.”

  “That must be rewarding. My father has never encouraged any of us girls to even learn self-defense. He says the men will protect us, but what if the men aren’t around? We don’t have guards, we never have had. There’s never been a reason to think we needed them until now.”

  “Your father sounds old-fashioned. I’m surprised your mother allowed him to get by with that.”

  “She didn’t. She took all of us to self-defense classes. If father ever knew, he pretended he didn’t. I would have gone on to learn more, but it never worked out once I started working.”

  “It’s never too late to learn something new or add to your knowledge. I think learning to fight would be good for you. Ram could teach you some basics and then get you a trainer once we see where you are in your skills.”

  “I’d love that. It would help me get in shape too.”

  “It also helps burn off nervous energy. Now let’s get back to some planning. What are your favorite flowers?”

  “I love purple lilies and orchids. I also love red roses. Maybe that’s because they represent love?”

  “Come over here and look at this.” Cleo had pulled up a florist and put the flower selections into a program that immediately pulled up arrangements the florist had done in the past.

  “I’m glad you went to that florist. That’s one of my cousins. My father has three brothers and a sister. Sophia has the same last name as mine. At least the same as mine for now. She runs the greenhouses that grow all the plants we use for our spells. Her magic is strong and heavily tied to the Earth.”

  “Her arrangements are incredible,” Cleo admitted. “Your mother mentioned her, that’
s why I looked at her website.”

  “We like to keep it in the family as much as possible.”

  “That’s a trait among paranormals. Who else can we trust completely?”

  “If Sophia handles the flowers and decorations, what else is on your list?”

  “Food is a huge item. We’ll have all different kinds and their preferences will be varied. We’ll need a seafood plate, a meat plate, a vegetarian plate, and a couple other variations. Where would we go for that kind of variety?”

  “Go to Italiano’s catering. They have a broad selection in their restaurant, but even more so in their catering company.”

  “I just ate and this site is making me hungry. Look at these smoked trout appetizers! Steak, lobster, lasagna, is there anything they don’t have?”

  “If there is and you want it, ask and it will be made available.”

  “Another cousin?”

  “Yes, the one I’m closest to, Daphne.”

  “Why a restaurant?”

  “She loves food, but you can’t tell it. Sure, she’s curvy, but the men all follow her around trying to catch her eye.”

  “You know you’re beautiful, Annie. Don’t you?”

  “I’m cute at best.”

  “Not true. I’m sure Ram will convince you in time. It’s sad that we females let others convince us we lack in certain areas when we don’t.”

  “I guess that’s true. Females are more susceptible to feelings of inadequacy than males are. Someday maybe we’ll be able to teach our daughters they have value and they all have their own personal beauty,” Annie concluded.

  They moved on to talk about the plans they had for the ball. It was already so complicated and over the top, and it wasn’t even the wedding. Annie knew that to many in her world that she was considered a princess and had they known more about Ram, he would be considered a prince. Looked at that way, maybe it didn’t seem as crazy to plan such an elaborate function.

  Annie’s father was all about formal political events and he would be in rare form rubbing elbows and making new connections with potential allies. It wasn’t Annie’s cup of tea, but as always, she did what had to be done for the good of her kind.