Forever Burning

by Evi Asher

  “Whatever Archer and I did or didn’t do is beside the point. I’m not his mate, and what makes you think that, anyway?”

  “The fever,” Dani said with a shrug.

  “There we go with frigging fever talk again. Can you lot spit out what you are trying to say and get it over with?”

  They ignored her for a moment. “Which side would it be?” Ath asked.

  “Left.” Kell nodded. “Yes, on the left side if I remember our studies right.”

  “Can I check something quick, Scarlet?” Ath asked, and Scarlet frowned but before she could say anything in reply, Ath pulled the left shoulder side of Scarlet’s robe down.

  There was a collective gasp amongst the women.

  “What? What’s there?” Scarlet peered down to try and see, but she couldn’t see anything. She got off the bed and walked through the closet to the bathroom until she faced the bathroom mirror. She leaned in closer to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. There was a small black symbol just under her left collar bone. It looked like a tattoo, but Scarlet knew she’d never had a tattoo done. Why hadn’t she noticed it before?

  “Did the other phoenix do this to me while I was sleeping?” she asked the women who had trailed after her into the bathroom.

  “No,” Ath answered. “It’s a rune. It’s a word.”

  “What does it say?” Scarlet leaned over the basin to get even closer to the mirror.

  The women were quiet, so Scarlet turned to look at them. “What does it say?”

  Ath was the one to answer her question. “It says, Archer of the Lycan.”

  Scarlet felt her jaw unhinge as she was shocked into momentary silence. “How did it get there?”

  “Archer put it there when you mated, silly.” Dani grinned. “Must have been really good, if you don’t remember him marking you,” she added.

  Scarlet remembered him telling her to listen to him, that he had something important to say, but she’d been so mindless with need at that point, she didn’t pay much attention.

  “Does this mean…”

  “That you are Archer’s She? Yes. You are mated to Archer of the Lycan.”

  “And it explains the fever.” Angelica added from the doorway. “You will have to show her.”

  “What do you mean, Angelica?”

  The woman turned and walked out of the bathroom.

  “What does she mean?”

  “The phoenix sent to fetch you wasn’t using her brain.” Ath shook her head.

  Scarlet was about to demand some answers when Ath spoke again. “A mated pair cannot be separated for long, or they will both deteriorate, getting ill to the point of death.”

  “Unless the bond is broken, and it’s obvious that your bond to Archer is strong,” Kell interjected.

  “So, what you are telling me is that I had a fever while I slept because I’m getting sick? And I’m getting sick because I’m separated from Archer?”

  Ath nodded. “That’s exactly what we are saying. Seeing him in the rift helped a little, but we have a way that you can contact him and speak to him. That will stave off your illness a little longer.”

  Scarlet’s heart sped up at the mention of being able to talk to Archer and for a moment, she forgot everything she’d just been told.

  She wanted to speak to Archer so badly that her chest constricted with anticipation at the thought of being able to hear his voice. She wanted some explanations, too. Why had he lied to her about his She? Why had he made her his mate without even asking her? He’d put her life in danger—no, screw that. He’d bound her to him without so much as a can I? Her longing to talk to Archer morphed into anger at his high handedness. She belonged to no one. He’d had no right to mark her.

  But you love him, so this is good.

  Her inner voice had a point. Scarlet amended her anger to a mild pique. Okay, so she had the guy she was in love with, abs, that was good, but every girl wanted the fairytale or a proposal, at least? She was right to be angry, and he was going to spend a lot of time making it up to her. A lot of time.

  “Calm down, Scarlet.”

  Ath’s voice snapped like a rat trap in her ears. Scarlet looked down and saw her hands were aflame.

  “Anger will do you no good now. It’s been done. I know you are the type of person who wants to have their own will, but the truth is, in our world, there is always someone trying to steal your will. You got lucky.”

  “Lucky? How can you say I got lucky?” The fire climbed up her arms.

  Ath stepped even closer to Scarlet and she was angry. “You found a Lycan male who cares enough to make you his. That means you are his to protect and he is yours to protect. We don’t have that luxury.”

  Scarlet could see the tiniest flames peek from Ath’s fingertips.

  “We get bred by whoever the council decrees will breed us. There is no love in our lives, and once our children are born, the council takes them away from us—all for the good of the race. So, to use one of your terms, suck it up, and deal with it, because you got lucky.” Ath stepped back and seemed to reach for her composure. She smoothed her robes with the palms of her hands and spoke again. “Now, did you want to speak to your Wolf, or would you rather sicken and die before we can get you back to him?”

  Scarlet felt a sense of deep shame, and she hung her head. “I’m sorry, Ath. I never realized.”

  The other woman reached out and pinched Scarlet’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, lifting Scarlet’s face. “It’s okay. We all wig out now and then, but I had to get you back, because we are depending on you to save us from this place.”

  “We want our freedom too, Scarlet,” Kell agreed.

  Scarlet took in a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, show me how to talk to that stubborn wolf. I’ll wait till I’m face to face with him to give him a piece of my mind.”

  Ath nodded and turned, leading the way back to the dormitory room.

  “I stole this mirror last week. I had a feeling we would need it,” Kell said, looking back over her shoulder as she went to her knees next to her bed and reached under it for the mirror.

  “Where did you steal it from?” Scarlet asked.

  “Remember when we were in etiquette class?”

  “Yes, how could I forget?” She hated the classes they had to attend, but she hated the etiquette class the most. It was boring in the extreme and she kept getting told about her way of speaking. In Scarlet’s opinion, if the teacher didn’t like the way Scarlet spoke, then she shouldn’t ask her to answer any questions.

  “Yes, have to agree there, but I asked to be excused for the bathroom. I stopped in the flame hall and liberated this.”

  Kell pulled out something that was swathed in material. She sat back on her backside and crossed her legs, pulling the object into her lap.

  Kell started to unwrap the item and Scarlet saw that it was a mirror encased in an ornate ebony frame. “You stole that mirror?”

  “This is a special mirror. We can use it to communicate with the other side.”

  “Like a two way radio?”

  “Exactly.” Kell patted the floor next to Scarlet. “Come sit.”

  Scarlet sat cross-legged next to Kell. Ath and Dani sat, too. Angelica was back on her bed, staring out the window. Scarlet understood a little more why Angelica was so upset. Her breeding was weeks away, now. They just had to find the right male and Angelica would have to have a child by him—one she couldn’t keep. Scarlet could understand why the other phoenix found the process so abhorrent.

  Scarlet focused on the mirror. They were going to get out of this hell-hole of a realm soon enough. Now, she had to try to get some coordination going.

  Kell placed the mirror on the ground, leaning it against the bed in front of Scarlet.

  “Okay.” Kell looked as if she was concentrating deeply. “If I remember my training right, you have to concentrate on the person you are trying to contact. Just like the viewing tear.”

  Scarlet nodded.

&n
bsp; “Focus in the center of the image, and pull the image of Archer towards the mirror.”

  “Okay.” Scarlet drew in a deep calming breath and centered her attention on the surface of the mirror.

  She closed her eyes.

  “No, keep your eyes open.” Ath put a hand on Scarlet’s shoulder. “You have to keep your eyes open, or you might open up a channel to somewhere we don’t want to have a channel open to.”

  “Okay, got ya.” Scarlet squared her shoulders, forcing her spine straight. “Why can’t you guys do this?” The idea of opening a channel up to some place scary was now stuck in Scarlet’s head.

  “’Cause you are his mate, the connection will be much stronger. Now, stop asking dumb questions and focus,” Ath said through gritted teeth.

  Scarlet gave Ath a dirty look, then focused on the mirror. “Archer, where are you?” she murmured almost inaudibly.

  A fog started to appear on the surface of the mirror as if someone had breathed onto the glass.

  Slowly, like a mist clearing on a cold morning, the image started to crystallize.

  Archer was sitting with his legs over the side of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his head in his hands.

  Scarlet sucked in oxygen when she realized he was shirtless. What a beautiful body he had.

  “Stop getting distracted,” Kell spoke, and Archer’s head snapped up.

  Chapter Eight

  Archer felt tension thrum through his body as his beast surged forward, flashing images of Scarlet’s face in the forefront of their consciousness. Archer kept his head in his hands, trying to force his wolf, and the images it was tormenting Archer with, back into the recesses of his mind.

  The Bittan was taking hold of him, that sickness that occurred when the separation of the truly mated pairs was too long. He didn’t want the others to know how he was suffering. He knew it must be worse for Scarlet and he was itching, wanting to rip off his skin if it would bring her back faster. He needed contact with his mate, and she needed contact with him.

  “Stop getting distracted.” A voice from nowhere made Archer look up.

  “Who’s there?” He scanned the room looking for the woman who had spoken.

  “Well, say something idiot, don’t just stare at the wolf.” A second female voice had Archer’s head pivoting towards the mirror on the far wall, opposite the foot of the bed.

  What he saw would have brought him to his knees if he hadn’t been sitting.

  In the mirror was his She. Other women flanked scarlet on either side, and she stared into the mirror as if mesmerized.

  “Scarlet?” He rose shakily to his feet and walked to the silver glass. “Are you real?” She seemed as awe struck as he was, and her cheeks were pink with color.

  She reached out her fingertips and he met her at the cold glass with his.

  “Archer.”

  His name was like a benediction on her lips, and it caused goose flesh of pleasure to race down his body.

  “Are you okay? Where are you? How do I get to you?” he asked, throwing the questions at her in rapid succession.

  “Whoa there big guy,” one of the women told him. “Slow your roll.”

  “Ath, slow your roll? Really?” A smile curled Scarlet’s lips, as if the banter amused her.

  “I’m okay—are you okay? I saw part of that fight.”

  Scarlet ignored them and spoke to him, and Archer had to force himself to focus on her words because her voice was like honey to him.

  “How did you—”

  “We don’t have much time,” Ath interrupted him.

  Scarlet nodded and focused on the mirror.

  Her face got serious. “We need to have a long talk when I get back because I have more than a few issues with what you did.”

  “What I did?”

  “Don’t have time for this,” Kell interrupted, looking at the door. “They are going to pick up the broadcast, so hurry up and tell him about the plan.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” she said in a rush. “We’ve got a—” She was cut off. A door out of his view was slammed back on its hinges. “Grab them, get the mirror.” A voice snarled from where Archer couldn’t see, but he could see the fear in his mate’s eyes as she focused on something behind the mirror.

  A cacophony of screeches and hisses echoed through the mirror as Archer watched other women drag Scarlet and her companions away from the window.

  The image went blank, leaving only a plain mirror, and his reflection staring back at him.

  He roared loud and long. He wanted to climb through the glass and get to his She. He needed her back now.

  Archer fell to his knees, his claws ripping up the carpeted floor in front of the mirror.

  No more! He couldn’t take more. Now, they took her for using the mirror. All the rest of the Outsiders wanted to do was research.

  Clarity formed like a placid mountain lake in his mind and he stood, utter calmness suffusing his body. He walked to the closet and pulled out a shirt and boots.

  He strapped weapons into holsters over his body and pulled a jacket over all of it, picked up his cell phone off the bedside cabinet, and snatched up his keys.

  Slipping the phone into the front pocket of his jeans, he hooked his finger through the key chain, leaving his room as quiet as mist.

  * * * *

  Zane hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d had more than enough rest in the trunk of the SUV, so he was down in the archives looking for any reference to Phoenix, but not making much progress.

  In the world of myth, it was a case of Phoenix being a myth. A whole night and no real progress, except an obscure notation or two referring to the fire people, or fire shifters.

  It seemed his best way to find out about the phoenix was either from oral tradition or from the Phoenix themselves.

  The first would take more time than the Outsiders had, and the second seemed impossible.

  There was a soft knock at the door. Zane put his finger on the spot he was reading and lifted his head, calling out, “Come in.”

  Sophia and Trinity came through the door.

  Trinity, upon seeing Zane, immediately stated, “Dude, no offense or anything, but you look like shit. When did you sleep last? Your eyes are more bloodshot than mine were when I got alcohol poisoning with the crew.”

  “Say how you feel, Trinity, but please don’t try and spare my feelings or anything,” Zane replied with a grimace.

  She laughed and pulled out a chair, dumping her form down onto it without ceremony. Sophia followed suit, and Zane wished they’d stayed out of the Archives. He didn’t want to spend time with Trinity. He didn’t want to be reminded of her reaction when he didn’t want to take her blood, and he didn’t want to relive the embarrassment.

  “Did you see the newest episode of True Blood, Soph? It’s frigging epic, and that Eric Northman, oh yummy.” Trinity spoke to Sophia ignoring Zane’s presence completely. “He can use me as a chew toy all day.”

  Zane gave a huff of air, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m working here, and I don’t have the strength or the patience for feminine babble, so, unless you have something useful to add, would you mind gossiping somewhere else?”

  His little tantrum got him pinned by two sets of wide innocent eyes.

  Sophia broke first, laughing at Zane’s turn of phrase. “Feminine babble?”

  “Hmm, I guess, then I shouldn’t tell him what I know about the phoenix, huh?” Trinity kept her wide-eyed innocent stare a moment longer.

  Zane glared at her and she grinned. “We are a gwowtch, li’l wampire, when we haven’t gotten enough rest eh?”

  “Archer is in a bad place, Trinity. We don’t have time for games.” He kept his stare level and she dropped hers.

  “Okay, you win. You are no fun.”

  He leaned forward. “Agreed—not when my friend is suffering, so out with it.”

  “He’s kinda sexy when he gets all demanding, don’t you t
hink, Soph?”

  Sophia opened her mouth to answer, but Zane spoke first. “Trinity!”

  “Fine. There is a legend amongst the castes of witches. It’s really old, so I don’t know how much is true and how much of it is embellished.” She leaned forward to whisper. “Witches are like fishermen...we like to add to a story.”

  “Trin—”

  “Yeah, yeah, keep your fangs sheathed. I’m getting there.” She settled back in her chair. “A cup of coffee would

  be—“ She cut herself off at Zane’s look and mouthed the word, “Sexy,” in Sophia’s direction.

  Zane hissed and Trinity grinned, then smoothed her expression into one of seriousness.

  “There is a tale told to us when we are witchlings at our mother’s knee, of a people who lived on Earth many, many eons ago. They were the fire shifters, the phoenix. The myth that they are all birds is just a myth. A phoenix can be any animal. Some even have the ability to shift to different human forms.”

  “Why did they leave Earth?” Zane asked, cutting to the point.

  “The phoenix had mortal enemies, the necromancers. Anyway, there is a spell—though many consider it a myth—that allows a necromancer to capture a phoenix and tap into the phoenix’s ability to create life from death,” Trinity explained.

  “Considering that Necro’s attempt to cheat death with every spell, that would be quite an ability,” Sophia said.

  “Yeah, and as you can imagine, it caused a war between the phoenix and the necromancers.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Carry on,” Zane said, motioning with his hand.

  Trinity spoke again, her voice subdued. “The war was terrible, and it is said that all the phoenix males were wiped out till only the females remained. The elders pooled their powers and moved the phoenix to another realm. No one knows what happened to them after that, but I can tell you this, any phoenix is something a Necromancer would kill millions for.”

  The atmosphere in the room was subdued as Trinity finished speaking.