Page 32 of Realm of Flames (Reborn 3)
And I was hoping they showed up sooner rather than later because I did not trust myself to sit through an entire conversation about Maya fucking us without doing exactly that. Even the most clinical of situations couldn’t take away from the innate sexuality that she carried. If I heard her say the phrase ‘mating heat,’ it may in fact be enough to set me off. I just didn't know and I didn’t trust myself, which was the true problem.
“Meeting? With the queen?” Maya’s voice was soft and edged in curiosity.
While we tried to make it seem so, meeting with the queen was anything but casual. There were factors we hadn’t had to consider in years, everything from etiquette to the fact that I knew we were going to be subjected to questioning by her mates and guard for why we had left in the first place, what we had been doing during our time on Earth, and how other members of the council were interacting. Most of the time the crown left us alone, but when we came back voluntarily, they absolutely expected a report. I was just hoping that they told them what a piece of shit the other council members were.
But instead of being here, Marco and Henry were aiding in that process while the twins helped them, leaving the three of us to Maya’s appointment. I was thankful I wasn’t known for dealing with people well, because I was much more equipped and happy to handle this type of situation than fucking politics.
“Yes,” I confirmed as we entered the large office that was headed by the royal physician herself. It was nothing like you would expect from Earth realm, but then again, the entirety of the Dreki realm was essentially as ‘un-Earth like’ as one could get. This room in particular was large, with spacious four-story ceilings and a comfortable seating area that was in front of a desk where a woman had been sitting, until she stood at our entrance.
Immediately I felt defensive, noticing the surprise that lit in her gaze before it turned clinical, running over my mate analytically before she offered a small smile. I knew it was in this woman’s nature to be observant, but I still found it annoying. My dragon rumbled in my throat as Maya squeezed my hand tighter, Croy and Sai both following us in, the guard grunting as if someone had done something. I wasn’t one to make bets, but I was going to guess Sai’s annoyance with the man had bubbled over.
I didn’t blame him.
“Maya, correct?” the physician asked as she rounded the desk. My mate jolted slightly at her name, having been distracted by examining the room. I had to trust this woman was good enough to be trusted with my mate. I mean, if the queen trusted her… that was something, at least. Although, I found trusting anyone with my mate difficult, especially after everything she’d been through recently.
“Correct.” Maya leaned into me, flashing a hesitant smile at the physician. I knew that Maya was hesitant around other women, and while I would have preferred her to never have a reason to feel caution around others, I was thankful that she viewed me as someone she could rely on for support and safety. It meant more to me than she would probably ever realize.
“Happy to meet you.” The woman reached out a hand, and Maya hesitantly met it with her own. Immediately, a spark ran from Maya’s hand to the woman’s in a flash of gold, and the doctor’s brows went up with interest. I couldn’t tell you what type of supernatural she was, outside of not being a dragon, but it was clear she had some type of magic. I was now wishing Henry was here, because I had a feeling this woman’s thoughts were far more interesting than anything she planned on saying. That was usually how it was with professionals, and she had enough years under her belt that she would probably keep her mouth shut about anything she wasn’t one hundred percent sure on. Something that was both positive and frustrating. I didn’t want her to bullshit us or be incorrect, but we did need some direction on what was going on.
“Please come sit.” She ushered us towards the couches before pausing. “Actually, would you gentleman mind waiting—”
“I want them here.” Maya’s tone was suddenly filled with a hard edge, a slight string of panic underneath making me know she didn’t want to be left alone here. I also could hear the hesitation that she ended it on, as if she wasn’t positive if she could demand that of this woman. I wondered how long it would take for Maya to realize that she could demand anything and it would be granted without question. I wanted to increase her confidence when it came to her making decisions, I just wasn’t positive how.
“Of course.” The woman nodded, examining Maya’s expression and seeing what I probably did. Maya kept her hand in mine as we sat down on two large, comfortable couches that faced one another. Croy sat on her other side, and Sai stood behind us, his hand absently playing with her hair, his entire body tense, letting me know how uncomfortable he really was with this.
I hadn’t made peace with my demons from my childhood or this realm, not exactly, but I also knew there was nothing I could do about them. Any family I had before Marco was gone, and I was far more focused on our flight’s future than anything else. But I knew the same couldn’t be said about the twins and Sai.
While Sai had mostly contained the disappointment of constantly feeling forgotten about in such a large family, it was the type of loneliness and pain that affected everything about him whenever he came across something that reminded him of just that. The Dreki realm, of course, was everything that his family was, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we came across them, considering his parents were part of the court here.
Whereas Marco’s father and Henry’s family would probably be away on missions, as they usually were when it came to military operations, both Sai’s parents and the twins’ father were part of court life and would no doubt be around. Unfortunately. It not only made me defensive, especially regarding the twins, but left me feeling thankful that I didn’t have any family to be disappointed by. Just rumors of a father that was considered a traitor.
“I’m Doctor Sloane Bates, the royal physician,” the woman began, her eyes darting between all of us. “Commander Moretti explained that you had some questions and concerns regarding recent health problems? And possibly something regarding your shifting and heritage?”
“Did he explain anything else?” Maya asked with consideration, her expression turning thoughtful as if she was trying to decide how to handle this.
“Just that it was extremely important and time-sensitive.” Doctor Bates paused and then added, “It is fairly clear to me that you’re not any type of shifter I have come across recently. So I would have to assume that is part of the health concerns we are dealing with?”
Maya’s eyes went soft as she nibbled her lip. “Yes. We recently confirmed, well, I discovered, I suppose… that I’m a phoenix.”
Doctor Bates went frozen, blinking in confusion before her eyes lit up with what I’m sure were thoughts that Henry would want access to, making me wish we had considered this possibility. However, I found that the doctor was a bit more forthright than I would have assumed.
“A phoenix? You know this? As in, you’ve shifted?”
“Yes,” Maya confirmed and then looked at the three of us. “All of my mates have seen it.”
“Mates? I see.” The doctor tilted her head. “So I am to assume that you are the mate to commander Moretti’s flight?”
“Plus Croy.” Maya’s hand snuck out and tightened on him as the doctor seemed to evaluate our friend and nodded with more confidence.
“I haven’t seen a phoenix shifter in years outside of the queen, but of course I am more than willing to answer any questions.” She seemed to hesitate, before adding, “I would be sure, though, when you meet with the queen, to explain to her what exactly you are. Being a phoenix in Dreki culture is very highly regarded, and she is going to be interested in where you’ve been hiding.”
“Not hiding.” Maya frowned. “Locked in a basement.”
Doctor Bates’s brows went up. “You were locked in a basement?”
“On Earth,” Maya confirmed and then looked to Croy. “I don’t know where to start. I feel like we had a lot of questions before we got here and now I feel overwhelmed.”
The truth radiating off Maya instantly had the doctor softening as she offered me a look of understanding. It was pretty rare that someone didn’t understand how special Maya was after moments of spending time around her.
