Don't Tempt the Phoenix

by CJ England

  Aithne tweaked his nipple gently and he jumped. “Don’t know if I want to hear about all that.” Then she sighed. “Yes…yes I do. I have to ask. There was no one else?”

  He chuckled. “There were other women I cared about. Some who meant a great deal to me. But none so much I wanted to tell them about myself.” He cupped her face in his big hand. “You alone hold that honor, Assai.”

  She smiled, feeling her heart melt again. “I love you, Milcham.”

  He groaned and kissed her. It was a long time before he lifted his mouth from hers. “There…there is more of the story.”

  Aithne snuggled against his chest. “Tell me.”

  “When I pleaded with Yahweh to allow me to search for a mate, he agreed, telling me only, I would have to return at the end of my thousand years to be reborn. I went to sleep that night rejoicing. I was excited about seeing the world.”

  “What happened?”

  Milcham’s eyes glowed hot amber. “During the night, the Ancient One came and convinced Yahweh, he should be allowed to tempt me. He said only through temptation and challenge would I truly appreciate my mate when I found her.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re talking about Satan?”

  “Yes. And he has done everything he could to make my existence difficult. From the beginning, he put women in my path. Those that didn’t know how to love or care for anyone but themselves. For a while I fell for it, but then I learned who I could trust. But he never stopped.”

  Aithne blinked as understanding hit her. “That’s why you thought I was evil. You thought Satan…the Ancient One sent me.”

  “I was wrong…and I am sorry for it. I had been taught over the centuries what you can do, is a sign of wickedness. I know better now.”

  She rolled over on him and put her chin in her hands. “So what have you done for eight centuries?”

  He grinned. “I have explored the world. I spent a great deal of time searching for my mate in the animal world, but I realized after a few centuries, I wasn’t an animal. Even though I may take the form of one…I am more.”

  “You are definitely more!”

  He kissed her again. “Knowing this, I began to look in the human world for my mate.”

  “And I was the first woman who made you take a second look?”

  Again Milcham thought briefly of the few minutes a century ago where he’d had that extra special feeling. Now that he had Aithne, he knew it had been very similar.

  “There was one other time,” he said quietly. “But it turned out to be nothing. I forgot about it quickly and moved on.” He frowned again. “I thought at the time, it might be another temptation. The Ancient One has become more active in recent years. And I think he has moved from tossing inappropriate women in front of me, to something more insidious.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Milcham didn’t want to tell her, but he’d promised. “I don’t want to scare you, Assai.”

  She leaned up on an elbow, her green eyes intense. “Too late. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  He sighed. “I think the Ancient One realized that you were my soulmate and he took steps to make sure we didn’t get together.”

  She was too intelligent not to understand what he meant. She sat up with a gasp. “You mean he caused my tent fire?”

  Nodding grimly, he pulled her back into the curve of his arm. “As well as the men who attacked you.” He gave her a quick hug. “And…if I’m not mistaken…I don’t think it was Alexander who was supposed to die in that accident tonight.”

  She went very still. “You think Satan wants me dead?”

  Rolling over, he pulled her back beneath him, knowing it would comfort her to have his body over the top of hers. “I told you it was frightening…but yes…this is what I believe.”

  “Because he doesn’t want me to go with you to the walled city?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t understand. Why does Satan care if you succeed or not? What’s it to him?”

  Milcham traced her lips with his finger. “He hates me,” he said simply. “I was the one creature in the garden who resisted his temptation. I am a favorite of Yahweh. When I was given this opportunity to go find my beloved, he saw it as a chance to destroy me…once and for all.”

  “But he didn’t succeed, did he? I mean we found each other, and you want me to go back home with you.”

  “He is a deceiver, Aithne. He will use our own fears against us. He whispered in my ear that you wouldn’t accept who I was, and I almost fell for it. When I saw the trailer was empty, I came close to packing up and leaving immediately.”

  Her eyes burned at the thought she might have lost him forever. “I’m so sorry. I needed time to think. That’s why I left. It wasn’t for good.”

  He held her tightly. “In the end I couldn’t leave either. I had to try to make you understand. Yet even then, my fears got in the way.”

  “Then tell me now about the city, Milcham. What will happen there?”

  His jaw clenched. “The city is in a place beyond time, Assai. We will arrive there by what some would call magic.” He kissed her as if he needed the contact. “When we arrive, I will show you how wonderful it is.” His eyes shone in remembrance. “It is the most beautiful place on this earth.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “I’m not sure if the Lord will greet us or not. He comes and goes as he pleases. But this I do know. On the thousandth day of my life, I must be reborn.”

  Her eyes searched his. She could feel her heart suddenly beat faster in her chest. Suddenly she knew whatever he had to tell her would change her life irrevocably. “You…will die and then come back to life?”

  He nodded. “I will build my nest and then at dawn on the thousandth day, I will sing my song to Yahweh and the sun. Then I will be consumed by fire to be born again. In this way, I am made immortal.”

  “And what about me?” she whispered. Somehow hearing the tale of his joyous rebirth made dread well up inside of her.

  He looked at her, his amber eyes serious. “If you wish to join me in immortality, you too must enter the refiner’s fire. You too, must die.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aithne’s face went as white as snow. “Fire?” she whispered, terror rising up inside of her. “I have to be burned in a fire?”

  He nodded slowly. “If you wish to be my mate, you must be consumed by fire and born again.”

  Aithne fought against the sickness that rose in her throat. Fire. Her worst nightmare. The one thing in all the world she feared more than anything. She’d thought the tent fire was a nightmare. But this? Would she be able to walk into a burning fire on her own?

  Watching her, Milcham knew something was wrong. She’d gone so pale, he was afraid she would faint. “Assai…talk to me. Why does this upset you so?”

  She stared at him. “I just went through a horrible fire. It…scares me.”

  He sighed. “There is more.”

  “What?”

  “There were rules I have to follow. As you know, I could only tell the woman I believe to be my soulmate, who I was. But I must also tell her what might happen when she leaps into the flame with me.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to like this.”

  He was pretty sure she was right. “I’m sorry. But you must know the truth before we go any further.” He sighed. “If you are my soulmate, you will be reborn in the fire as I am. After that, I’m not sure of the details. I only know you will be immortal.”

  “And if I’m not?”

  He held her tightly. “If you aren’t my true twin-flame, the fire will consume you, and…you will die.”

  Aithne searched his face, knowing he was telling her the truth. He wouldn’t prevaricate over such a thing. Her stomach churned with fear. If she wasn’t who they thought she was, she would burn to death.

  A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but she couldn’t speak. Knowing what she faced made her mind blank and her mouth go
dry. But even with all the fear invading her soul, she knew she would go with him. She loved him too much to do anything else.

  Her fear was apparent. He could see all the emotions flicker across her face. Thinking quickly, he realized all he could do was try and make her more confident in what was ahead. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled off the bed with her.

  She squealed, and grabbed his neck. “Milcham! What are you doing?”

  “Proving you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When you leap into the fire with me, my flames will protect you.” He looked at the bed and grinned. “Unfortunately, I seem to singe other things, and since I intend to use the bed again, I moved us.”

  Aithne went very still as she realized his intent. “But you burned Alexander! I saw you!”

  He nodded. “Yes. But I got you out of your tent by holding you in my arms. My body protected you. I can only believe it’s because we are meant to be together. Please, Aithne…you must trust me.”

  Her lips quivered as she stared deep into his eyes. He held his breath as she fought her fears. Finally, closing her eyes, she buried her face in his neck and nodded.

  His eyes glowed in relief and gratitude. She was still terrified, but she trusted him to take care of her. Her trust was a gift in itself. He wouldn’t let her down.

  At first, Aithne felt nothing. Then so slowly, she almost missed it, the warmth came. She felt it at her fingertips and toes first then it covered the rest of her. Soon her entire body was cocooned in a bubble of heated comfort.

  Cautiously, she opened her eyes. Her whole body glowed. Gasping, she turned and looked at Milcham. He was there, looking right at her, his golden eyes filled with love and passion for her. But when she looked again, he changed. His human face melted into his Phoenix one. His blond hair caught fire, and the arms that held her so carefully…turned to burnished wings of purple and gold.

  “You’re beautiful.” It was the first thing that came out of her mouth. In response, the Phoenix ’s eyes burned even brighter and without warning, he caught fire, filling the room with golden light.

  Aithne cried out in fear, but she immediately realized she wasn’t burning, nor was she hurt in any way. She watched in awe as tendrils of scarlet fire wrapped around her body, licking at her with its warmth. Joy bubbled up inside of her. Milcham had told the truth. His fire didn’t hurt her. Not in the slightest.

  She laughed out loud and threw her arms around him. “I love you,” she shouted, her heart overflowing with happiness. “I love you!”

  The Phoenix smiled and tossed her in the air to land squealing again in the curve of his wings. She could sense his utter happiness. Then his wingtip touched her cheek gently, and he began to sing.

  In his human form, Milcham had a fine voice and was teased by the other carny folk that he was on the wrong side of the desk when it came to entertainment. He was often asked to sing for his supper and enjoyed doing so. But nothing had prepared Aithne for how he sang as the Phoenix .

  As soon as he opened his beak, the most glorious song poured from his throat. While the words weren’t human, she could understand them. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she listened.

  He sang of his love for her. Of their life together and the future that lay so golden before them. He told her exactly how he felt in every sweet, liquid note he offered her. When the song finally ended, she was sobbing in his arms. Never had she been loved so much…so completely. She was so caught up in what she was feeling, she didn’t even notice when he shifted into a man.

  When he laid her back down on the bed, she stared up at him, her emerald eyes drenched in tears. He bent and kissed her gently. “I love you Aithne…in any form. As a man, or as the immortal Phoenix . I have spent every moment on this earth searching for you and I know now, I never want to be without you. Say you will come with me. Back to my walled city to be born again with me in Yahweh’s renewing fire. I swear I will protect you and take care of you. You’ll want for nothing as my mate.” His eyes moved over her face with a vulnerability she’d never really seen before. “Please, Assai…I need you. Will you come with me and be mine…forever?”

  Her throat was so clogged with tears, she couldn’t speak. She thought of Aidan and Dawn and how she would miss them. Her mind flashed to Alexander and Jarrod and all the friends she’d made here, in the carnival. Could she leave them forever to go live in a place beyond time?

  Then, the man standing above her smiled, and Aithne’s heart melted. She knew that any of those worries were unimportant. She was in love with Milcham and she would follow him anywhere. Lifting her arms to him, she pulled him down to her.

  “To be without you would be a much worse death than I can imagine,” she whispered. Please…take me with you. Not for immortality…or for the riches of your wonderful city. But because you are my soulmate, my twin-flame. The man I’ve been searching for my whole life. Because I need you just as much as you need me.” Her tears overflowed and she smiled as he kissed them away. “But mostly because I love you, Milcham…Phoenix …whatever you want to call yourself, more than my own life.”

  Pulling her under him, Milcham held her tightly. His heart beat so hard with joy it was almost painful. “Then it will be so. We will go together to test the fire, but immortality or not, I couldn’t love you more than I do right this minute.”

  She smiled and moved invitingly under him. “Then show me again, my eternal lover. Show me what I have to look forward to for the next thousand years.”

  No more was said, as he buried himself deep inside her willing body. They spent the rest of the night showing each other that the twin flames of passion they had for each other, would never go out.

  —

  “And you know that payroll needs to go out by the fifteenth,” Milcham said as he looked at the papers in his hands. “I’ve left you my power of attorney, so you shouldn’t have any problem writing checks.”

  He looked around at his messy desk. “I know I’m forgetting something.”

  Alexander sighed from where he sat taking notes on the other side of the desk. “Are you sure this is necessary? I mean…maybe you will be able to come back.”

  Milcham’s jaw tightened. Part of him wanted to come back to this human life very much. Living here with Aithne held great appeal to him. But, he looked forward to going home as well. “I don’t know what the future will bring, my friend. We must be prepared for the possibility I am not allowed to return. I won’t leave the carnival hanging in that way. Someone must be able to make decisions.”

  “And you’re sure I’m the one, huh?”

  Grinning, Milcham handed over the accounting books. “You are the best one for the job. You’ve been helping me run this place for months, now. And we both know your temperament is much better suited for a lot of the management jobs around here.”

  Alexander snickered. “Hey…you can’t help having a temper. And Aithne doesn’t seem to mind.”

  Milcham chuckled. “Yes, for being a gentle woman, she gives as good as she gets. I am a lucky man.”

  “I’m just glad it turned out all right.” Alexander shook his head. “I wasn’t sure she’d talk to any of us for a while.”

  Milcham remembered the look on Aithne’s face when she first realized they all knew his secret…but her. “I hope to never put her in a position like that again.”

  “How does she feel about leaving everything behind?”

  “It is a miracle.” Milcham was still awed by her choice to accompany him. “She loves me enough to go with me. To leave all that she has ever known. Even after everything I did, she trusts me.”

  “Love and trust go hand in hand,” Alexander smiled sadly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone like that.”

  “Of course you will. Your soulmate is out there as well.”

  Alexander shook his head. “Women like Aithne are not easy to find. One who won’t mind, that you aren’t…normal. Hell, it to
ok you eight hundred years. What chance do I have to find someone in a single lifetime?”

  “The right woman won’t care you can communicate with the dead, my friend. She will love you anyway.”

  “It’s not…just talking to ghosts anymore, Milcham.” Alexander stood abruptly and paced over to the small window. “I’m not sure any woman could handle what I can do now.”

  Milcham could hear the pain and frustration in his friend’s voice. “What are you talking about? What’s changed?”

  Alexander turned to him. “Have you ever done to someone else, what you did to me?”

  “Heal them? Of course. Many times.”

  “No, I don’t mean just heal them.” Alexander ran his hand through his dark locks. “I mean…you brought me back from the dead.”

  “You were further gone than any other I have healed,” Milcham said carefully. “But I don’t have the power of resurrection. Only Yahweh has that. You weren’t dead. At least, not completely.”

  “But I was partially dead,” Alexander insisted. “And if you hadn’t brought me back, I would have died.”

  “Yes.” Milcham gazed in concern at him. “What are you getting at, Alexander? What has happened to you?”

  “When I…died…went to the other side, or whatever you want to call it, something happened to me. I came back…changed. I’m not the same man I was.”

  “You went through a frightening experience. Of course you’ve changed.”

  Alexander slammed his fist into the wall. “That’s not what I mean.”

  “Okay…okay,” Milcham soothed him. He rose from his seat. “Tell me then. Can you still speak to your Ethereals?”

  “Yes, that hasn’t changed. But that’s not all I can do.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Alexander sighed. “It’s easier to show you than to tell you. Watch.” He moved away from the wall and stood back in front of the desk.

  Milcham stared at his friend. At first he saw nothing. Alexander just stood before him, his azure eyes dark with a mixture of fear and worry. Then suddenly, so slowly his eyes couldn’t register what he was seeing, it happened.

  Alexander went transparent.