Page 6 of Ruling in Flames (Reborn 5)
My eyes snapped over to Azrael, somehow knowing he would understand what was going on, or at least have an idea. Despite everything going on, I trusted him to an extent. It didn’t make a ton of sense, but I didn’t think he would lie to me about the situation we were in.
Before he could answer, though, a loud crack of thunder sounded overhead, causing me to jump as I snapped my gaze up at the clear skies.
Except they weren’t clear. Not anymore.
The sky turned dark, and fog saturated the air, clouding everything around me. The force of the wind pushed me back down the hill before I could warn the others, crowding me into the valley’s center. I hissed as I tripped over my own feet and fell forward, catching myself as a pained whimper came from my lips.
Looking around, I felt a new magic fill the air, and I stood, trying to keep calm as the energy ebbed, leaving me in a state of complete silence. I looked around and eventually found myself kneeling back down in the grass, wanting to avoid being taken off guard. When the silence stretched on for more than a few minutes, the adrenaline drained out of my body and I slumped in confusion, my thoughts going back to my men.My mates.I hadn’t imagined Anani, right? And Azrael?
No, there was no way.
My eyes widened—Bella. I had left her there! And the other phoenix and young dragons that The Master had kept.
This was so wrong.I shouldn’t be here!I needed to get back to them.
Fury, sadness, fear, and protectiveness all raged within me as my heart beat double-time, causing me to feel overwhelmed. The worst part was that I didn’t know where I stood. I didn’t know what was true, and Ireallydidn’t know what was false. Instead, I felt like I was in some odd limbo. I didn’t even know if I was truly alive.
Tears welled in my eyes as I considered the very stark reality that my mates were in harm’s way because of me, that I would never see them again. That Bella could be hurt, that those younglings could never escape. A sob caught in my throat as I felt an engulfing wave of emotions, including guilt, suffocate me. I put my head down, trying to breathe through it and failing horribly.
“Don’t cry, young phoenix.”
An older male voice had me snapping my head up. I stumbled to standing, adrenaline spiking again as I realized that the man stood only feet from me.How had I not heard him approach?Sure I was still getting used to being a shifter, but that type of noise, the sound of someone approaching, wasn’t one I ever took lightly considering my past.
Tears covered my cheeks despite his words as I looked over him, the creature inside of me attempting to determine if he was a threat or not.
My phoenix settled after a moment, both of us coming to the conclusion that he wasn’t a threat. Of course, it no doubt helped that he looked grandfatherly. Not that it meant anything—I could tell he had magic, andpowerfulmagic…he just wasn’t trying to use it.
“I have every reason to cry,” I responded hoarsely.
His completely blue eyes, almost cosmic in nature with silver stars, were understanding as he nodded. His long white hair, which contrasted his dark skin, was pulled back in a braid, and his beard shifted in the wind that brushed through the foggy space—though the breeze didn’t move the clouds, masking us in a cloak of gray.
“Of course.” He nodded again and then snapped his fingers, two large leather chairs appearing. He moved his dark robes and sat, motioning to the other. “Please, sit. We have to talk before you make your return, and we don’t have much time.”
Hope surged through me at the mention of returning, and as I sat down, the fog suddenly cleared in one direction, giving us a scenic view of the valley. I just wish it had cleared in the direction of Anani and Azrael.
“I promise they are perfectly fine,” he said with a knowing smile.
“Why are we separated then?” I demanded. I wouldn’t lie, I was getting very frustrated with constantly feeling separated from my mates. If I got back to them—no,whenI got back to them—I would make sure that never happened again.
“I needed to talk to you alone,” he explained, meeting my gaze. “There are some things meant only for your ears—at least for the moment, until you decide what you want to do.”
“What I want to do?”
“The realms connected to Earth are going to face danger, not once, but several times in the next century.” He sighed. “Unfortunately unavoidable, despite my best efforts to design it differently.”
“You designed Earth?” I asked in confusion.
“We can discuss that later,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “But yes, the realms will face danger, and many individuals—some you know well—have parts to play in helping the realms survive what is to come.”
I kept quiet as he looked over me and nodded, seemingly happy that I was content to listen.
“You play a part as well, Maya,” he explained. “We need phoenixes and dragons to become one unit again. In order to survive what is to come in the next century, there cannot be a divide.”
“Most of the phoenixes are dead,” I whispered in pain.
“Many are dead,” he agreed, “but many are not. Many are in hiding. You can stop the damage Ry has done and eliminate him. You have been destined to rule from a very young time, but it won’t be the Dreki realm. It will be the intersection of the two species—dragon and phoenix. You’re the key to bringing the two together so that when danger does come, you can lead them into battle.”
My eyes went wide. “Battle? I…I understand what you’re saying about leading, but there are so many problems with it. First of all, who is Ry?”
