Page 75 of Fated for Dawn

This is what it felt like to be a god.

I took a tentative step, and the ground seemed to tremble as the earth recognized me. Heat radiated from within, a low, simmering energy that built with every breath. Every movement felt magnified as if I carried the weight of something ancient and powerful. I could feel my mate’s heartbeats in perfect rhythm with my own, and the air around me vibrated with life. The oaktree in the distance shimmered in my vision—not just the leaves, but the veins running through them, the life pulsing in its roots. Everything was alive, burning with possibility.

They didn’t have to tell me what I was. I already knew.

A phoenix.

30

Evelyn

Iexploded into flames and shot skyward, the world below a blur of colors. The rush of wind fed my fire, and for a moment, I was a comet streaking through the atmosphere.

The wind rushed through my feathers as I soared above the treetops, my heart pounding with exhilaration. I was a phoenix - an actual, honest-to-goodness phoenix! My fears melted away as I flew, marveling at how natural it felt.

After a few minutes of flying around, I dove toward the courtyard and landed gracefully on the lawn where Rafe and Chad were waiting. Clearly, these wings were a little more well-behaved than my fairy wings.

Chad bounded over like an excited puppy as I returned to human form. “That was awesome, little witch! You were all whoosh and zoom and on fire!” He mimed my flight path with his hands.

I laughed at his enthusiasm. “Thanks. It was pretty incredible!”

Rafe approached. “You were beautiful up there!”

Thanks, Rafe. I don’t know why I was so freaked out about shifting—it’s the most liberating thing I’ve ever experienced,” I said, still breathless with awe.

Chad smiled. “Told you.”

“I think I’m going to grab a shower now—I smell like a burnt bird.”

“Here.” Chad pulled off his t-shirt and handed it to me.

I blinked at him, confused, then followed his gaze downward.

Oh.

I was naked.

…Oh well.

I finally shifted! I did it!

The experience had been incredible, but the toll on my body was more than I’d anticipated.

We walked back to the mansion, the cool evening air a relief against my still-warm skin. Rafe and Chad chatted about something—I wasn’t really listening. My mind was a thousand miles away. I had to read about Phoenixes and learn all I could to destroy Eris.

Night after night, she kept visiting me in my dreams. I wasn’t able to block her out, not entirely. Each time, she’d relive a memory with Lia and me, reminding me of the good times, suggesting that all could be as it was, that she held no true malice. She’d spoken of destiny and power, her words coaxing and soft. I guess this is how she got to Morgana. Each morning, I woke up feeling more exhausted than when I went to bed. It started affecting me in ways I couldn’t hide much longer.

“So, what do you think?” Chad’s voice broke through my fog.

“Huh?” I looked at him, blinking away the memories.

He grinned. “Pizza.”

“Pizza’s fine,” I said.

“We’ll get your favorite,” Rafe added. “The one with the pineapples.”

I nodded.

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