Chapter 12

Protect mate!Protect mate!

I woke to the sound of Bexley screaming, and my phoenix squawking its beak off. She wasn't in our bed. And worse, my cycle had accelerated. But would I be reborn? I could only hope that we'd found each other in time.

But if dying for the final time was the only way to protect my mate, then I'd die.

A rush of emotion and what-could-have-beens bombarded me: Images of Bex round with our child. Had my seed taken within her womb?

Holding my first born, a son, and no longer being the only phoenix shifter in existence.

Being another step closer with my brethren to ensuring humanity's safety.

Ending once and for all Dante's cruel crusade to either kill or enchant our fated mates, tethering them to the vile demon.

I feared all of it was no longer in my future. But Bex and our child would have one.

Her screams began anew, and my inner phoenix had had enough.

Racing from the castle, the change happened as I cleared the threshold, stepping onto the drawbridge. My limbs were no longer human. Sharp talons grew in place of my fingers as my arms became part of my wing structure.

Wasting no time, I shot into the air, then watched in horror as feather after feather fell. Floating to earth, creating small piles. My core temperature rose as I battled it back down to manageable levels. Saving Bex was now all that mattered.

Catching a thermal current and with my enhanced vision, I found the vehicle carrying my mate. I'd sent out a distress call to all my brethren, but I knew I was on my own. They would never make it in time before the demon and his soldiers crossed the boundary back into human-controlled land. If I somehow made it until then, I'd risk the discovery of what I was.

The farther she was taken from me, the faster my death crept. I had to find another level of strength to close the distance between us. So, I did what I swore I'd never do. I reached out to my father, our sire. The being who from his first breath on Earth had begun this prophecy, through not only his belief that he was superior to the gods already ruling this planet, but his disinterest in training his sons for fear we would eventually make him obsolete.

He could choose to ignore me, as he'd always done, or surprise the hell out of me and provide me with even a tenth of his ability to overtake the demon vehicle and reclaim my mate.

"Trace!"

Bex's cries sounded closer. I was gaining on the Humvee.

"Help me!"

I felt no link to Tiegh or any of my brethren, but I somehow made it to her. Chasing away the need for explanation, I flew even with the vehicle. Blacked-out windows reflected my image so I couldn't tell which side of the vehicle she occupied. Through our link, which had been in place since we mated, I now heard her pleas for help in my head.

Remembering that I hadn't fully explained mates were telepathically linked, I hoped she wouldn't be freaked out when my voice intruded into her thoughts.

"Bex, tell me you"re uninjured, then tell me if you're on the passenger or driver"s side?"

"Trace. Oh, my god. I can hear you…what…oh, this is so cool. Okay, yes. I mean minor bruising, but otherwise just pissed off. I'm sitting behind the driver. My hands are tied, and I can't reach the door handle because that imp used my own freezing spell on me!"

Joy and laughter burst through me simultaneously. Gauging the distance to the boundary, I flew ahead, then dropped to the ground. And there, on the other side, was the Duke of Hell. Dante stood with his legs wide, hands on his waist, his tailored suit jacket flapping in the breeze. He was waiting for my mate to be delivered to him.

The roar of the Humvee's engine made me look away from the grinning demon. Fifty feet separated me from the approaching vehicle. As a phoenix, I was able to direct my internal flame from my core to my wings, igniting them, then touching the dried grass on either side of me, creating a wall of fire ten feet in height. The driver's eyes bulged at the site of the ten-foot-tall flaming bird in front of him. He wrenched the wheel in an attempt to avoid me. His efforts proved futile as I shifted to match his direction.

My only hope was to stop him before reaching the boundary. Unsure if Dante was able to portal only himself or if he was able to make everyone in the Humvee disappear as well was the chance I had to take.

According to Roane, it was still unknown if the Duke of Hell had his full power restored after Britt and Quinn's attack in South America, which had left him clinging to life after receiving severe burns. Not from me but from Britt's new power, wielding plasma fire, after she mated Quinn.

I countered each turn of the wheel with more fire until I was less than five feet away from the enemy.

Five feet from my mate.

We were now all encircled by flames.

Hope filled me. Perhaps today would not be my final day.

"Brethren!" The unholy scream filled the valley from where Dante stood.

The passenger side doors flew open and two demons spilled out, then stopped short when I sent two blasts of fire at their feet.

Chuckling at the terror on their faces, I sent a thought to Bex. "One would think demons would be used to battling a little fire, but thankfully mine is plasma based. Meaning no immortal is safe from its effects. Except you, my mate."

"That's great. But now that you've had your fun, could you help a girl out? It's getting a bit hot in here."

"I'm on it."

Unsure if my final death was still eminent, I shouted, "Dante, order your imp to release my mate."

"And what? You'll spare me?" Dante still on the other side of the boundary, like a coward, appeared to flicker in and out of view.

"Nope. Just release my mate. Now." My fire was becoming harder to maintain and sure enough, I felt the tug of death, but still no hint if I'd be reborn now that I was once again within touching distance of my mate. Of course, it could all be in my head, as I wasn't certain my final burst of power had come from my father or from the terror within me of losing Bex.

The demon who'd captured Bex stepped from the Humvee, rivulets of blood dripping down the left side of his face. Bex's doing. It had to be. She was at full power since we mated, and because of her size, the demon would have underestimated her.

"Why, you're nothing but a pathetic bird. Look at you, your flames are disappearing, your wings are turning to ash. In minutes, you'll be nothing but a cold heap of dust!"

Dammit.I had hoped to see Bex one last time.

Turning toward Dante, and with the last of my strength, I pushed my words into his head. "Your madness is going to end you one day. And whether I'm reborn or not, know that you've lost." I barely managed the words as the end of this cycle consumed me.

As the last of my sight faded, I noted a blur of movement as the three demons surrounding Bex were felled. At last. Quinn and Roane had arrived. They'd make sure my mate was safe.

The last sound I would ever hear was Bex's screaming.