Page 67 of Red Dragon’s Flame

“I was just a little girl, for one thing,” Devon said.

“And it was an emergency situation,” Thorne added. “The Allohim were attacking, and the queen needed somewhere to hide.”

Devon shook her head. “I don’t think that was it,” she said. “The Allohim were on us—they could see where she went. Why hide in the body of a child who can’t move? They could have just picked me up and carried me off.”

“But they didn’t,” Mikah said. “So maybe she needed a human body as a conduit for her fire?”

Devon thought that over. “I don’t think so,” she said finally. “Fire filled the air before it entered my body. The phoenix took out the Allohim, and then she moved inside me and saved my life. She was protecting me. She didn’t want me to die.”

Everyone was quiet as they digested that. Finally Thorne said, “If your memory is correct—”

“It is,” Devon said. “I’ve had nightmares about it all my life, over and over. The Allohim above me, fire filling the air, and it shrieking as it burned. And then the fire all around me and inside me, before I passed out.”

Thorne nodded. “And if she doesn’t need a human host—but chose to save you—then that suggests that the phoenix is not only sentient and intelligent, but compassionate as well. She risked her life, revealing herself to the Allohim, saving Devon’s life, and remaining with her.”

“She stayed with me all this time,” Devon said. “I’ve had fifteen years I would never have had, and I’ve had this time with Mikah.”

Now was the time she had to be brave. “She sacrificed herself for me.” Hard to do the right thing. So hard. “I owe her. If she wants or needs to leave, and find a mate, then I have to let her go.”

Devon’s words dropped the bottom out of Mikah’s world. He’d known, deep inside, that that’s what she was going to decide. As much as she claimed to be a criminal and a black hat, he knew she’d always been careful not to hurt people. She even helped them, like the people with poisoned water in Wyoming.

And she was right—it was the right thing to do.

But he didn’t care. All he knew was that his mate was talking about giving up the power that kept her alive, and they didn’t know if they had anything to take its place.

“So what happens then?” Mikah said, his voice coming out harsher that he intended, harsher than he wanted. He looked at the rest of the people in the room, not at Devon.

“What have we got that will keep Devon alive, if the phoenix leaves her? Do we have any magic that can do what the phoenix has been doing? Any way to heal the damage? Or are we talking about human medical intervention—a hospital bed and life support, forever?”

He knew she didn’t want that. She’d begged him not to let it happen.

He got up and walked to the window, his back to the room, wanting to smash everything within his reach. Hell, why didn’t he? Everyone else did.

He picked up a vase from a nearby table and threw it at the wall. The smash of pottery on the stone wall released something in him, but it didn’t help. Nothing would help.

Devon came up behind him, putting her arms around him from behind and laying her head on his back. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to do. But I can’t try to make her stay if she doesn’t want to—if she even could. Or come back and be trapped inside me after she renews herself. How could either of us live like that?”

He didn’t care. He didn’t care that she was right or even that deep down, he agreed with her. He turned and wrapped his arms around you, speaking inside her mind. I can’t help it. You’re everything to me, and I just found you. This can’t be all there is.

“We’ll find a way, Mikah,” Thorne said. “Tyr and I are scouring the archives. If Draken sorcerers could figure out a way make whole countries in bubbles of spacetime, someone’s figured out how to do this. We just have to find it.”

“In time,” someone muttered, barely audible. Probably Zak.

Chapter 31

It was one thing to talk about taking a team to rescue the male phoenix.

It was another thing to find him. The one piece of information Tyr’s sources didn’t have was the location of the Allohims’ hidden world.

“We’re going to have to send in a Trojan horse,” Tristan said. “One of our operatives disguised as Devon, with a spell to mimic the phoenix’s fire. If we can get her inside their defenses with a beacon, our worldwalkers should be able to follow her.”

“I can do it,” Mayah said. “My dragonfire ought to be enough to fool them, with the help of some spells. I’m about Devon’s height, so the disguise spell would be easy. Plus, with my magic, I have a better chance than almost anyone of breaking down their wards from the inside, if the beacon doesn’t work.”

Tristan said, “I don’t like the idea of you in there without backup. Is there any chance we can talk them into allowing an escort?”

“There might be,” Emon said. “And I know just who to talk to.”

He picked up his communication ball and called Cazbek. “Do you still have flying monkeys lurking around the penthouse?” When Cazbek said yes, an evil grin spread across his face. “Good. Tell them to take a message to their leader. The King of the Al-Maddeiri Clan wants to cut a deal.”