Page 78 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“You said you were born that way.”

Her head barely shook, her voice hardly a whisper. “I don’t think I was. I think my heartbeat was taken.”

Izaiah stood slowly. He hadn’t expected Zaiana to share this with him. Something that felt like it could shift the tide of the war. Despite this, he was growing uncomfortable with the feelings stirring between them. It didn’t feel right—he wasn’t the one who could hear her troubles and give a damn.

But Kyleer would. He’d wanted to be there for her, and she’d betrayed him. For that, he pushed back anything of comfort he wanted to extend to the dark fae.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Izaiah said, swiping up the knife.

He cut before she could turn around, watching the box flare to life again.

“They think they made me into their perfect weapon,” she said.

Izaiah smiled without meeting her stare, feeling their thoughts align.

“Then I do hope I get to witness when they meet their maker.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Zaiana

Zaiana was plagued by an unwanted presence in her subconscious mind again. It had been some weeks since the last time they’d interacted, and she’d just about concluded she’d dreamt this place and the intruding male.

“Do you get headaches often?”

Zaiana sat in a thick cloud of her subconscious darkness, her head propped against her fist, while the invading pest paced around.

“More so since you’ve been showing up,” she grumbled.

“You could help us both out by taming this space at least.”

“I like it the way it is.”

“That’s a lie.”

Of course he wouldfeelthat. Zaiana was beginning to regret the deal she’d made with her phantom.

“What do you want me to do? Speak to it?”

“Not be so uptight, for a start.”

“I am not—” Zaiana stopped herself from wasting more energy on his insufferable remarks. “You’re not helping atall. This was a damn foolish idea, and one I’ve certainly reconsidered with how long it’s been.”

“I’ve been busy, as I’m sure you have too. And I can only guide—I can’t change anything. I mean, I could, but it would only be a temporary illusion. The real and permanent change has to come from you.”

Zaiana fell onto her back to be swallowed by the dark cloud.

“Dramatics don’t help either,” he called over the next crack of thunder.

“Just send me off to sleep again,” she said, closing her eyes.

The smoke around her dissipated in a flurry that forced her to glower at him.

“Neither of us can afford to expend too much energy in here, so why don’t we just get a move on?” he exasperated.

She propped herself up on her hands, with piqued interest. “What might you be getting up to on the real plane of reality?”

“Nice try. Up.”

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