Blood of the Phoenix: Book 17 of The Witch Fairy Series Read online

  Reaching out to push Eliana out of the way, Quinn suddenly finds his arm held in a vice grip. One made of delicate looking fingers on a hand that barely circles half of his forearm. It is still enough of a grip, however, for Eliana to stop the Giant in his tracks.

  Scowling down at her, Quinn tries to shake Eliana loose. She doesn’t budge. Bringing his other hand up, he tries to pry her fingers off his arm. With her other hand, Eliana twists the Giant’s wrist until he is gritting his teeth in pain. Off to the side, Orwick grins in satisfaction. For once, I am in agreement with the big, blonde oaf. Quinn had this coming.

  The shift in Quinn is tangible. He is no longer playing a game. His pride is taking a beating in front of his men, and he doesn’t like it. Flexing every muscle in his impressive Giant body, he lifts his arms up, bringing Eliana several inches off the ground when she refuses to let go. Unfortunately, she cannot control gravity. When the Chieftain prepares to throw her to the side of the room, I pull magic. But, Kallen shakes his head to keep me from using it. He’s right, of course. This is Eliana’s fight, not mine.

  When will I learn that I don’t have to worry about my friend when it comes to protecting herself? Quinn is taken by surprise when his clothes are suddenly on fire. With a bellow that threatens to bring the roof crashing down, he lowers his arms and tries to beat at the flames, forgetting that Eliana still has a tight grip on his arms. His eyes fly to her in alarm when he cannot pull free.

  “Let me get those for you,” Eliana says with an evil grin. I like her evil grin. It has the right amount of sass and menace. I wonder if she can show me how to do that.

  Pulling my mind back to the situation at hand, I try not to laugh at Eliana’s next surprise for the Giant. Just as suddenly as the flames came, a small thunderstorm develops. Directly over Quinn. Eliana drops his arms and steps back as the Giant is pelted by hail. A lightning bolt snaps at Quinn’s heels and he jumps. Orwick’s grin grows even wider. He is enjoying the show even more than I am.

  Clearly worried that she has made things worse, Josh murmurs to Eliana under his breath, “You could have simply put the fire out.” There are times when he is a lot like Kallen. My husband would have said the exact same thing.

  I disagree, though. Shaking my head, I say loudly and with a large dose of amusement in my voice, “No, this is so much better.”

  Just as I thought he would, Kallen sides with Josh. They are such a pair of buzz kills, sometimes. “We do have urgent business,” my gorgeous husband reminds us evenly.

  Yes, we do. With an acknowledging nod, Eliana pulls her power back. But, she is not stupid. She stands ready in case the Giant decides to retaliate. So, she is surprised when Quinn suddenly lets out a loud guffaw. An actual guffaw. Something he apparently does very well. Somehow, that makes him even more annoying. I didn’t think it was possible. He’s always surprising me that way.

  Turning to me, Quinn declares, “I like her better than you.”

  Putting a hand over my heart, I reply dryly, “How will I ever recover?”

  My sarcasm just makes the Giant Chieftain chuckle. Turning his attention back to Eliana, he asks, “What are you?”

  Rolling my eyes, I tell my friend, “You’ll grow to hate that question as much as I do.”

  With a scowl, Eliana replies, “I already do.”

  “Enough with the games,” Kallen grinds out. “Will you let one of your females accompany us or not?”

  Pursing his lips, Quinn considers. Finally, he says, “I will. But, I will come along, as well.”

  Lucky us. Stifling an annoyed groan, I remind him, “The Phoenix only wanted us to bring females.” Again, not one hundred percent certain of that, but it’s worth a shot. I really don’t want him to come along.

  Quinn is not going to budge on this. I can see it in the set of his jaw and the determination in his eyes. “This is the only way.” Of course it is.

  In an effort to move things along, Kallen doesn’t continue to argue. “So be it then. When will you be ready to leave?” With a surreptitious glance in my direction, he adds, “We will need to teleport back as soon as possible. We have other realms to visit before the day is done.”

  And they will all be as much fun as this visit was. If not worse. Again, lucky us.

  15 Chapter

  Quinn and the female of his choice are ready to leave within an hour. A painful hour of hanging out in Quinn’s house as preparations are made. At least the Giants are too busy to really pay attention to us except for the odd curious stare here and there toward Eliana. Apparently, word travels fast around here, and her getting the best of Orwick and Quinn has made the rounds.

  Orwick, thankfully, will not be joining us. He is not happy about being left behind, even if he’s still annoyed with Quinn over the mocking he received. It is the job of the second-in-command to have the Chieftain’s back. We insist that it will be difficult enough to hide Quinn and whichever female he chooses to accompany us when in the Cowan realm. We leave out the fact that it will be even harder to hide some of the other beings we are bringing with us such as Dragons and dinosaurs. An exceptionally tall person would certainly be an oddity, but wouldn’t totally freak out a Cowan like the others would.

  In the end, Orwick is left behind, much to my relief. I’m under enough stress. I didn’t want to have to deal with both annoying male Giants.

  The female Giant Quinn chooses is the daughter of one of his closest advisors. Eistla is tall, even for a female Giant. She must be at least ten and a half feet. But, she is shy. So shy, she doesn’t speak. Not even a hello when she is introduced to us. She simply nods or shakes her head when asked a question. Maybe she can’t speak? If not, I hope that isn’t a problem for the Phoenix. I do note, though, that Eistla keeps sending longing glances Quinn’s way. It dawns on me that her shyness may have more to do with her feelings for him rather than being around us. Quinn doesn’t seem to notice her or her longing looks. If there’s love on her side, it’s obviously unrequited. Lucky for her. I can’t imagine Quinn would make a very good husband. Or a faithful one.

  When we are finally ready to go, I insist on teleporting Eliana and Josh first. I don’t want to leave them alone with the Giants for even a minute. Who knows what Orwick would try. Next, I take Kallen and Quinn. Eistla is nervous about teleporting, so I save her for last.

  Dagda is again waiting for us on the terrace. I guess he’s cleared his schedule for the day. Tana is with him, and she graciously greets the two Giants. Eistla gives her a shy smile, but still remains mute. I wonder if I can do the voice thing in reverse? I’m always taking voices away, but can I make someone talk? The more silent Eistla is, the more tempted I am to try. It’s nerve racking.

  Near the terrace, someone has created a tent suitable for the dimensions of a Giant. The flaps are pulled back and the furnishings inside are lavish. I am going to assume Tabitha was in charge of this. The large platter of food on table in the center of the tent is my first clue.

  While Tana leads the Giants into the tent to see to their comfort, a job I am relieved is not mine because the best I would have offered them is a patch of sand on the beach, Dagda comes to speak with us. “Any trouble?” he asks. He knows the Giant Chieftain, and me, too well to believe things went smoothly.

  With a grimace, I tell him, “Other than Quinn forcing Eliana to show her power after she had to beat up Orwick, no.”

  Instead of being angry at this news, Dagda turns surprisingly sympathetic eyes toward my friend. “I am afraid he will not be the only one to do so,” he warns.

  Eliana nods. “I understand.”

  With a prideful grin, Josh adds, “Eliana is up for any challenge offered.” Her cheeks turn a bright pink at his overt confidence in her abilities, but Eliana doesn’t contradict him. She can’t because it’s true.

  With a warning glint in his eye now, Dagda offers some sage advice. “Until you know your antagonizers and what they are capable of doing, tread carefully.”

  If only I had
listened to that advice over the years. Actually, I still have trouble heeding that advice. With a knowing smile touching his lips, Kallen slips my hand into his and gives it a squeeze. He is aware of where my thoughts have gone. The pointed look my biological father gives me tells me that he knows, as well. He is simply hoping Eliana has better sense than I do sometimes.

  “I will,” Eliana tells Dagda with a solemn nod. I believe her. She’s a lot smarter than I am that way. At least, I hope she is.

  “Hey, you’re back,” Sam calls from the door to the house. “Did you come back with Giants?” he asks hopefully.

  I nod and point toward the tent. “Yes, we did.”

  Jenna has joined him. “Don’t be rude,” she grumbles. “We don’t want to act like naïve Cowans.” I smile at her use of the word. She is blending in well.

  Ignoring the chastisement, Sam’s curious gaze remains on the tent. He is dying to get a closer look. Taking pity on him, Kallen asks, “Would you like to meet them?”

  Even Jenna’s eyes light up at the thought. “Yes,” they both say in unison. The two of them quickly make their way down the terrace steps and over to the tent entrance with my husband.

  I let Kallen make the introductions. The less time I spend in Quinn’s company the better. I note that Eliana doesn’t join her friends, either. Josh does, though. I think more for their added protection than for a great desire to spend more time with the Giants. I can’t blame him for being distrustful after his own experience with them.

  “Where should we go next?” I ask Dagda. He likes it when I ask his opinion. And since I don’t want to go to any of the other realms, I will leave the choice to him. Just this once.

  “I received a curt, impatient reply from the Dragons. They do not want to be kept in suspense as to the reason for your visit.”

  I cock my head to the side. “Are the Dragons ever not curt and impatient?”

  With a sigh, my father admits, “No.”

  As much as I do not like being at the mercy of the Dragon’s impatience, if we want their cooperation we really shouldn’t keep them waiting too long. Look at me showing off a tiny bit of diplomacy. “Okay, we’ll go there next.”

  “How big are these Dragons?” Eliana asks, a note of nervousness in her voice.

  I reach out and pat her arm. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to fight one.” I hope.

  My father is not as hopeful. “Do not hesitate to use your own fire if they demand a show of strength,” Dagda tells her, completely contradicting what I just said. I scowl at him, but he ignores me like usual. Why do I even bother to scowl? It never accomplishes what I want it to, it’s just going to put permanent creases in my forehead. “Do not show any signs of weakness,” Dagda continues.

  Squaring her shoulders, Eliana resigns herself to the fact that she might have to fight a Dragon. “How far does their fire breath reach?” she asks me, remembering my little speech in her living room.

  “You’ll want to stay at least eight to ten feet away from them.”

  With a surprising amount of amusement in his voice considering the situation, Dagda points toward the Giant tent where Sam and Jenna are obviously enjoying themselves. I guess Quinn can be charming if he actually tries. “I believe your friends will be well entertained while you are gone,” Dagda says with a fond smile. Aw, he actually likes my friends. He really has come a long way in his attitude about Cowans. He’s still not a fan of Witch’s in general, but my grandfather really hasn’t done anything to help with that.

  Focusing our attention in the same direction, Eliana and I listen in on the conversation happening in the tent. Sam and Jenna are not shy around the Giants. In fact, they are eagerly asking questions, trying to learn more about the race. Since Quinn’s favorite subject is himself, he is not bothered by the questions, even if they are coming from Cowans.

  Leaving them in Tana’s hands, who is more than capable of stopping a Giant from harming them, Kallen and Josh rejoin us. Josh sends a couple of nervous glances over his shoulder, but he ultimately trusts Kallen’s judgement that his friends are safe. Shaking his head, Josh says to Eliana, “They are going to drive the Giants crazy before we get back.”

  “No, they won’t,” I assure him. “Quinn loves to talk about himself.”

  Josh chuckles. “So I gathered.” Sobering, he asks, “Where are we off to next?”

  “Dragons,” Eliana says without much enthusiasm in her voice.

  Picking up on her mood, Josh reaches out and takes her hand. “We got this,” he assures her quietly.

  Biting my lip, I blurt out, “In a show of full disclosure, I once melted all of the bones in one of the Dragon’s bodies before healing him. Then I forced them to stop eating Goblins. So, I am not a favorite of the Dragons.”

  Eliana’s and Josh’s mouths drop open. “Why would you do that?” Eliana chokes out. I assume she means the melting bones thing.

  Trying not to squirm in discomfort, I explain, “It was a fight to the death.” When they grow even more horrified, I rush to add, “I didn’t kill him, though. I would never. But, if I didn’t prove that I could…” I let my words trail off. Next to me, Kallen puts an arm around my shoulders and gives me a reassuring squeeze. He knows that I still feel horrible about what I had to do.

  Swallowing back her shock, Eliana admits with a heavy heart, “I understand. I have gone too far with hurting people when I was backed into a corner or crazy with anger and grief, too. I have had several instances where if Josh wasn’t with me, I may have done something I would have regretted.” She smiles at her love and Josh winks back.

  “Now that you have bonded over nearly killing others, perhaps you two should bring those psycho skills to the Dragon realm before the Phoenix goes supernova,” a voice snarks from the terrace.

  “You know, I hear bacon is going to be in short supply in the near future,” I snark back, earning me some weird looks from my companions since this is way off topic from what we were discussing. I point at Taz. “I was talking to him.”

  “Blasphemy!” Taz accuses. “Besides, you are not my bacon supplier.”

  He’s right. Tabitha is. And he makes sure he sucks up to her regularly to keep the supply coming. “No, but I know where she keeps it. It would be really easy to make it all disappear.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Hey,” a voice exclaims from behind my Familiar. “He is not the only one who likes bacon around here.” Kegan looks almost as horrified as Taz sounds.

  I roll my eyes, but don’t say anything to relieve either of their bacon worries. Turning to Kallen, I ask, “Any chance you want to go to the Dragon realm without me? It might go better.”

  My husband gives me an evil grin. He’s even better at them than Eliana. “And miss your fascinating interactions with them? Never.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I grumble. “Fine, let’s go then.”

  “Do try not to start a war,” Dagda tells me. Only half-joking. Actually, I don’t think he’s joking at all.

  “I’ll do my best,” I reply dryly. Resigned to get this over with, I ask, “I suppose they are expecting me to open a passageway into their great hall?”

  Dagda nods. “Yes.”

  Great. I hate going straight into their great hall. That puts us in the crosshairs of the King’s guards. With a grimace, I say unnecessarily to Kallen, “Be ready with your magic. You know how testy they get around me and my mouth.”

  Eliana gives me a sympathetic pat on the back. “You do have a tendency to speak your mind. But, if they don’t like it, that’s their problem. Don’t change to please them or anyone else.”

  So many reasons why she is my friend. “Trust me, I won’t,” I promise.

  “Because there’s no cure for your kind of crazy,” a snarky voice declares from my ankle.

  “Remember, you were made from my psyche,” I remind him.

  Taz shrugs his little Tasmanian devil shoulders. “I only acquired your good qualities. Both of them.”


  I am so tempted to kick him, but I don’t want my friends to think I abuse animals. If only other people could understand him. Then they would know the abuse is deserved. “Isn’t it about time for your fourth or fifth lunch?” I ask dryly.

  “Do you really think you are going to the Dragon realm without me?” Taz counters.

  I suppress a smile. He’s worried about me. “I had planned on it.”

  Taz sniffs. “And have you come back all singed and smelling like smoke when you can’t control yourself and get attacked? I don’t think so. I sleep in the same room as you and the stench would keep me up all night.”

  I laugh. “Good to know your concern is all about yourself. Fine, you can come.” I half expect Kallen to object, but he seems to like the idea. Probably because I can channel even more magic when my Familiar is around. Something I might need to do if attacked by a roomful of Dragons. “Is Felix coming, too?”

  “No, he is going to keep an eye on things here. There may be trouble when more beings start to show up,” Taz replies. Good point.

  With a long, beleaguered sigh, I remember how boring I thought life was when I was growing up. It certainly has proved me wrong. I open a passageway to the Dragon realm while promising myself I will quit being so whiny to everyone about these trips. It may help my stress levels, but I’m sure it’s not helping theirs.

  16 Chapter

  We are not greeted by flames, which is a relief. Peering around the Dragon’s great hall before stepping through the passageway, we find only King Myles, Ryu, and five guards. My eyes travel to each of the latter in turn so I know where they are in the room, and I take in King Myles last. I avoid making eye contact with Ryu to avoid any chance of offense. The Dragon King seems to have aged since I last saw him. He looks like he’s about to turn into dust any minute. I wonder if they force the King’s out of society when they get too old like they do the rest of their race? It would serve him right if they do. Ageism is never acceptable, and he has condoned it throughout his reign.