A Queen's Dark Prison

Chapter 11: Powers

-Hope-

“Any progress?” Phoenix appeared over my shoulder, startling me a little in surprise, as he jolted me. He so easily crept up on me that it made me shake my head at him as he took a seat in front of me. I was sitting in one of the larger libraries, just taking my time to see if I could find my connection to the Goddess again. Hunter had briefed me on the plan, and there was a good chance I was the queen’s only hope.

“Not with you distracting me!” I retorted and saw him grin at me.

He had been behaving somewhat oddly lately, and I couldn’t discern why. It felt like he was concealing something from me, but every time I inquired, he managed to divert my attention. Now only a small table separated us, and I knew now was a good time to confront him.

“Something on your mind?” I queried.

Phoenix shook his head, but I knew he was being untruthful, so I tilted my head a little to the side, giving him one of those smiles I knew melted him right away, and then placed my hand on the table. He reached for my hand so quickly, taking it in his and bringing it to his lips, kissing the palm gently. We had really changed so much since we became mates. Phoenix making the biggest change of all.

“You are lying,” I remarked, and he smiled a little, acknowledging my observation. “Talk to me.”

He sighed, looking at our intertwined fingers, before finally meeting my gaze.

“My past seems to have come back to haunt me,” he confided.

“What do you mean? You haven’t had a nightmare in almost a week.”

“I don’t mean nightmares,” he clarified. “The... The people who took me when I was just a kid. They have decided to side with Connor.”

I looked at him in shock. “Why?”

“To get to me. No one leaves. Only through death is your service over,” he informed me.

“So, what does that mean?” I inquired.

He shrugged a little. “We wait.”

“For?”

“For them to show themselves,” he said. “I can’t really go search for them when I have you to look after now, and with Connor out there too, I will simply have to wait until they reveal themselves.”

I sighed, and I felt his hand squeeze mine.

“I won’t let anything harm you. Ever,” he promised me.

“I know,” I said and smiled. “I can’t help but feel worried, though.”

“I know, but I won’t let them take you or me. I am staying right here, where my mate is.”

That made me smile even bigger, and I nodded, glad he was sharing this with me, so I knew what was going on in his mind.

“Now, what is going on with you?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“I am not sure this is working,” I admitted. “And I know the queen needs me to work.”

“You’re making yourself sound like a machine.”

“In a way, I guess you could say that I am. We are a conduit for the Goddess to touch the people on this earth. Through us, her gifts can shine through, and we can help those who need help,” I explained.

“You can’t force it to happen, though. If your connection to her is truly gone, we will figure something else out. Don’t push yourself too hard,” he said.

I nodded, appreciating how he was looking out for me.

“It’s strange, though,” I said.

“What?”

“When I was with my sisters, I always felt the connection to the Goddess. It was even stronger when I touched one of them. That disappeared when I started living here, but... but when I touch you...”

I let my fingers trace along the palm of his hand and then up towards his wrist before going down again.

“It feels like I can feel her again,” I said.

“What? Do you need to touch me or something to connect with your powers?” he asked.

I shrugged again. “Maybe. Would you be willing to try?”

He nodded, and a smile spread on his lips as he leaned back in his seat and opened his arms.

“I am all yours to do with as you want,” he remarked, making me chuckle.

I stood up from my seat and walked around the table. He pushed his seat back a little, so I could sit on his lap. His arms wrapped around me, and I moved one around his neck, running my fingers through his short black hair.

I loved the feeling of it, and he enjoyed feeling my fingers playing with it. It was another weak spot of his, and a satisfied growl escaped him, making my body warm and ready for him, but this was more important. The longer I touched him, the stronger I felt, almost like he was a second connection to the Goddess in some way. I couldn’t explain it.

“What now?” he inquired, his eyes full of lust.

“I’m not sure,” I whispered, my eyes going to his lips.

It was impossible for us not to respond to each other. The energy between us always became electric whenever we were this close. Heck, we just needed to be in the same room, and we were ripping our own clothes off so we could mate like animals.

“Is this where you light a candle with your mind or something?” he teased me.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

“Not quite. I have tried healing someone, though,” I informed him.

“Oh?”

I smiled at him, and then he surprised me as he pulled a knife from his belt, holding out his other arm in front of us.

“What are you doing?” I exclaimed before I saw him cut himself. “Phoenix!”

I reached up to place my hand over the wound, even though it could heal just fine on its own. He had cut deeply, though, so it wouldn’t just heal up in seconds.

“Go on,” he urged.

“What?” I asked, confused, looking back at him.

“Heal me.”

“You… Why would you do something like that?!” I protested.

“I am helping you. Now go on!”

I sighed but went back to look at his wound. I placed one hand over it and another under his arm so it was “encircled” by my energy. I closed my eyes, trying to find that power I used to have. That feeling of light going through me. It often felt warm and would start to burn when it truly shone through me, but it just felt like a light simmer all the time, like I couldn’t quite bring it forth.

“It’s not working,” I said, opening my eyes.

“You aren’t trying,” Phoenix insisted.

“I am!”

He just chuckled and lowered his arm, but I kept holding onto it so he wouldn’t bleed everywhere. He leaned closer to my neck, kissing it and making me all relaxed and warm.

“You’re distracting me,” I panted.

“I thought you had given up,” he whispered before biting my earlobe.

I whimpered slightly, and he moved his free hand to my thigh, pulling my legs open before he reached between them and started to stroke me over my panties. I was wearing a small blue skirt today, and it gave him easy access.

I leaned my head back and moaned as he went to suck on the marking spot. He had already left so many marks on my body, practically creating an artwork of them, but I loved the sight of it. It made me feel claimed and owned in a way that brought me a sense of safety, like nothing could touch me, and I truly believed that in Phoenix’s arms. But we weren’t being naïve.

All our mates had started to train Angela, Harper, and me, knowing we needed it. We had a lot of work in front of us, though, and we could all see it.

Right now, I didn’t care, though. I was getting lost to his touch, and when one of his fingers pushed past the little barrier and found my cl*t, I let out a small scream before I came, the org*sm burning me slowly, making me grab harder onto his wounded arm, wondering if I was making new wounds with my nails. But I couldn’t think about it as I rode out the org*sm, feeling so sated afterwards.

Phoenix was quick to bring me onto the table, spreading my legs wide, and quickly worked on his pants as I pulled down my underwear. He speared inside me fast, making us both moan, and then he started to pound into me slowly, drawing this out because it felt so incredible.

Our bond was just humming as we f*cked right there in the library, but as he moved in and out of me, I noticed the arm he had cut was suddenly all healed.

Phoenix was strong, there was no doubt about it, but he had purposely cut deep in order to make it harder for him to heal. But now there was no wound. Not even a scar!

“Phoenix,” I panted.

He didn’t listen to me and just kept working us both towards a blinding climax that made me forget all about his arm, wounds, and magic powers. All I felt was him and what he did to me. Nothing else mattered.