The Guardian King

Chapter Twenty-six

~ Ember

*

The exceptionally warm night air caused me to untie my robe in the hopes of enticing a breeze. Soft grass beneath my bare footsteps offered comfort as I paced the palace lawn deep in thought. I could no longer pretend the threats I’d received were merely Magnolia expressing her displeasure. The second mysterious message, hardly longer than the first, instilled a fear in me I hadn’t been able to shake all evening. After only one movie with Phyneas, during which I said very little, I feigned fatigue and turned in early. However, being cooped up in my room did little to relax me and only added to my bad mood. After I believed everyone within the castle to be asleep, I slipped out of my suite and crept through the deserted corridors, out into the garden.

*

The castle grounds after midnight offered a soothing peacefulness. Once the pacing had eased most of my nerves, I sat on the nearby stone bench. Unfortunately, no amount of pacing could quiet the nagging questions. What made the king’s mother dead set against my presence in his life that she could so easily threaten mine? What had I done in my short time in Ilia to thoroughly earn her hatred?

*

No sooner had I made the decision to bring Magnolia’s threats to the attention of the king, did my anger rise once again at the thought of him. Phoenix’s absence ate away at me, though I couldn’t comprehend why. Which only made me all the more agitated. With the guardian king infiltrating mind yet again, my fury and frustrations began to fester. Logic told me I shouldn’t be upset, but my heart remained adamant. Aside from my lack of telekineses training, Phoenix had held up his end of the bargain in arranging my training with the others. And I couldn’t blame him for my poor progress, however much I wanted to. So far he hadn’t asked me for a single thing since becoming his companion. I should be grateful, instead I felt abandoned.

*

Gemma took on the task of investigating my dad’s past. Phyneas had taken it upon himself to be my personal mood lifter. He had a talent for finding ways to make me smile. Ambrosia had basically taken me under her wing, Audrey had been exceptionally encouraging, and Knox had proven to be a patient trainer despite the fact I proved to be a poor trainee. Even Sadie I could count on to put me through my paces in sparring, which had become a great way to release frustration. I had the makings of a solid support system for the first time in my life. So why did Phoenix’s absence affect me so?

*

Contemplating the source of my emotions led me to the conclusion I was not actually angry, but hurt. My heart saw Phoenix as my protector, for which I blamed the dammed dreams of him I used to have. Twice now someone had made written threats against me, but he was nowhere to be found. My heart resented him.

*

My emotions played ping-pong until the sudden appearance of light, spilling out of a group of upper-floor windows, caught my attention. As I sat on the garden bench, transfixed by the glow that represented life within the castle, an instinct from deep within told me the windows in question belonged to the guardian king himself.

*

I sprang into action, despite the fact I hadn’t a clue on the right direction. I let instinct lead the way through the palace, up two flights of stairs, to a pair of ornate doors; the king’s private suite. Something inside drew me to his doorstep. I’d never been in that part of the castle before, yet somehow I knew exactly where he dwelled.

*

Ignoring my erratic heartbeat, I considered what I’d say when I faced him. I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea about my presence in his territory during the middle of the night. But my feet refused to return to my room without facing him. I swallowed my fear, summoned the strength needed to seek answers to the questions that had been keeping me up at night, and unceremoniously walked right through Phoenix’s door.

*

I took little notice of the guardian king’s beautifully masculine domain as I made my way through the foyer. The layout of his suite was not all that different from mine, only mirrored. I found the king in the main room, making me extremely thankful I wouldn’t need to venture as far as his bedroom.

*

Upon noticing my unexpected presence, Phoenix immediately stood from his armchair and looked at me in surprise. I, however, looked away, avoiding his gaze as I dove into my speech before he could chastise me for the intrusion.

*

“Need I remind you it was at your request that I moved into the palace?” I began, hoping he didn’t notice the nervous waver in my voice. “I was quite happy living with my aunt when you claimed me as your so-called companion. And although I do appreciate the help you’ve provided in my training, you implied your personal involvement when I agreed to come here, yet you’ve given me all of one lesson.”

“Ember-”

“Not to mention you’ve left me and Gemma on our own to find answers about my dad when your assistance is greatly needed. I thought you would help me. I know your responsibilities are important, but I can’t help feeling as though you’re using work as a shield to better avoid me. If I’m a burden to you, you only need tell me.” I sensed the king approach, but worried if I let him stop me I’d never have the courage to get everything off my chest. “I will gladly return to Beth’s if you don’t want me in your way. I can join the academy if I’m taking too much of your people’s valuable time.”

*

When I paused for breath, Phoenix seized his chance to speak. “Ember, please calm down. The last thing I wish is for you to return to Middlebrook.”

“Then why the hell have you been avoiding me?” I demanded to know.

“It was never my intent to make you feel this way,” he answered softly.

“Then communicate better damn it! I get that you have a busy life and all, but at some point I have to wonder why you even chose a companion at all when clearly you don’t have time for one.” I could feel his aura come nearer as he asked, “I thought you had no desire to be my true companion?”

“And I thought you said we could be friends?”

“That is true, I did say that.”

“Real friends don’t abandon one another.” A long tense pause caused me to notice his labored breathing. I spared a look in his direction as he replied, “You are right, mon ange,” before he collapsed onto the floor.

*

“Phoenix!” I dropped to his side in concern. For the first time since entering his domain, I studied his face and panicked when I discovered it abnormally pale. His eyes were fading and his breaths shallow. I looked him over, finding nothing to explain his behavior… until I opened his leather jacket. My skin grew clammy and nauseousness hit me as I said, “Th-that’s a lot of blood.”

“It’s just a scratch,” he panted.

“A scratch, Nic? Are you delirious?” Though his eyes weak, he spared me a smile as he whispered, “You called me Nic.”

“That’s what you are focusing on right now?! You are bleeding out onto the floor.”

“Believe me, little dove, it’ll take a hell of a lot more than this to end the guardian king.”

“You’re insane! Where’s your phone? I need to call Phyneas.”

“Currently disabled. Besides, I don’t need Phyn.”

“You need immediate healing!”

“Then it is fortunate I’m already in the presence of a healer.”

“Me? I… I can’t heal you. I can’t even heal myself!”

“You can, Ember. I know you can.”

“Your life is on the line and you’re choosing to put your faith in me?! I’ve been a guardian less than a month!”

“You were born a guardian, mon ange. And you’re far stronger than you realize. All you need is a little motivation, of which I’m hoping my impending death has provided.”

“Are you kidding me right now?!”

*

Phoenix reached over, placed a hand on my leg, and calmly said, “Relax, Ember. Just focus on stopping the bleeding. You’ve done that before.”

“Not under pressure.”

“There is no pressure here, Angel. I’m not as bad off as I look. You’re letting the sight of blood overwhelm you. Regain control and channel your energy into your God-given ability.” I inhaled through my nose and out my mouth as I replied in a shaky voice, “Okay.”

*

I suppressed my nerves, ignoring the alarming quantity of blood soaking his clothes. In an effort to better focus, I averted my gaze from his wound, looking instead into his face. His golden eyes told me something I wasn’t prepared to hear; I would be lost without him. Somehow the mere idea of a life without Phoenix made my throat tight and my eyes sting with tears. I relinquished control to my instincts as my desire to heal this man rose to epic proportions.

*

My eyes fell closed, unable to hold his piercing stare and concentrate on my task at the same time. My hand automatically reached for his as I searched myself for the source of guardian energy. A hum of power began to rise to the surface and my excitement flared when I began to feel a tingling sensation. I trusted that to be a good sign.

*

I spared a tentative peek at Phoenix’s wound to discover it no longer bleeding. “I did it,” I whispered.

“I knew you could, mon ange,” he replied casually as he brushed stray hairs away from my face.

“I still say you were crazy to put your life in my inexperienced hands.”

“I had faith in my companion. What’s crazy about that?”

“Let me ponder that while I help you off the floor.”

*

I assisted him to a seated position, before carefully wrapping his arm around my shoulders and hoisting him upwards. “Good Lord, are you made of lead?” On his feet once again, he replied, “I don’t come to your room in the middle of the night and make comments about your weight.” A soft chuckle escaped me at the way he described the night’s events.

*

I helped him to the sofa, lowering him to the seat as he smiled at me and said, “I like your laugh.”

“You’re just delirious from blood loss,” I pointed out.

“There’s no reason both those statements can’t be true.”

“No one’s ever liked my laugh.”

“Maybe no one’s ever said it.” I rolled my eyes as he continued, “But that’s good for me. It means I alone hold the honor of telling you. I’d like to hear your laugh more often.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t keep disappearing on me.”

“You’re right… again.”

*

Phoenix began to shed his leather jacket, but when he winced I stopped him, saying, “Let me help you.”

“As you wish.” I gingerly peeled the jacket off one shoulder and assisted him in withdrawing one arm, before I gently unwrapped the garment from his back, pulling it off the other arm. I tossed it in a heap on the floor and began to work on rolling up his shirt from the bottom. With great care, I relieved him of the blood-soaked fabric, before discarding it in the pile with the jacket.

*

A wet bar in the corner caught my eye, where I quickly fetched Phoenix a glass of water. “Thank you, little dove,” he said sincerely as he brought the glass to his lips. I suddenly became very aware my proximity to him in his current state of undress. This was not the first time I’d seen him in a similar situation. I still from time to time caught my mind wandering to the memory of running into him outside the natatorium. Although, it was the first time I’d laid eyes on the tattoo on his chest in precisely the same location as mine. He’d had a towel over his shoulder the first time I saw him shirtless. Which must’ve been why I’d overlooked the elegant design, roughly the size of my hand, depicting the image of… a dove.

*

My heart skipped at the sight which essentially represented the nickname he’d given me from the moment we met. Could it have been a meaningless coincidence? Doves represented peace and were considered spiritual. Surely the bird was a fairly typical guardian tattoo. It most likely didn’t have anything to do with me. At least, it didn’t appear to be new ink.

*

After Phoenix drained the entire contents of the glass, I took it from him and asked, “More?” He shook his head, so I returned the glass and said, “Then lay down, you need further healing.”

“You’ve healed me enough,” he replied.

“Let your healer be the judge of that. Lay down.” He relented, laying longways on the couch, letting his feet hang off the end due to his extensive height.

*

At the wet bar I located a cloth and soaked it in warm water from the tap. When I returned to his side more ink caught my eye. Some words I recognized as French had been tattooed on his hip, half of which disappeared below the waistband of his jeans. Though I wanted to study the words long enough to determine if I could interpret any of it, I couldn’t let him catch me staring at his body. Instead, I focused on the gash spanning from his ribcage down to his navel.

*

The wound, though no longer bleeding, still looked very fresh and painful. I began gently cleaning his skin, telling myself it was only paint in an effort to assuage my queasiness. Phoenix placed a hand on mine, effectively impeding my efforts. “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“I need to be able to see the extent of your injury,” I explained. “I cannot do that if you’re covered in blood.” He took the cloth from me and said, “You needn’t make yourself uncomfortable on my account. I know blood makes you uneasy.”

*

“Does Phyneas give you a daily report on me or something?” I asked as I surrendered the cloth and moved across to sit in the armchair.

“You think I need Phyneas to spy for me in order to notice things about you? I don’t. The second you discovered my injury your face became void of all color. The fact you managed to put your discomfort aside for my well-being is truly touching.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I said. “I would’ve done the same for anyone in need.”

“One of many reasons you are so special.”

*

Silence descended while he finished the job I’d begun. When his skin appeared mostly clean, I returned to his side, placing a throw pillow onto the floor. After finding a comfortable position beside the couch, I rested my hand on his chest and concentrated on completing his healing. When the energy began to flow through me again, a bit easier this time, I decided to risk losing concentration in order to ask my burning questions.

*

“Would you tell me what happened?” I asked, beginning with the most obvious.

“I crashed my motorcycle,” he replied evasively.

“Nic,” I said. The use of his preferred nickname gained his full attention. “Who did this to you?” As our gazes connected, his eyes reflected understanding. He grasped the extent of what I was asking him; to put his trust in me.

*

Phoenix cleared his throat, breaking eye contact with me as he rested his head back against the arm of the couch. “I cannot be certain, but my strongest suspicion is that the former king, Soren, didn’t appreciate me poking my nose into the depths of his reign.”

“Sadie’s uncle did this to you?” I said in utter shock.

“Not directly. He’s far too cowardly to get his own hands dirty. Not that he had a slim hope of taking me on himself if he tried. But I believe the attack on me came about from his orders.”

“What is your basis for thinking so?” I inquired.

“I paid him a visit earlier this evening.” I retained partial focus on pouring healing energy into the king as he relayed to me the events from earlier.

*

Shame trickled into my chest as I learned how wrong I’d been about Phoenix. “Before I left,” Phoenix said, wrapping up his story, “Soren heavily implied if I insisted on looking into Jonas he would intervene.” I nearly choked on regret upon hearing proof of my massive error in judgement over the guardian king’s character.

*

Phoenix noticed my distress and misunderstood, placing his large hand over mine as he offered reassurance I didn’t deserve. “Ember, I will not let this go. You have my word, I will give you closure on your father’s death.” I swallowed hard and replied, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am. But…”

“But?” I took a steadying breath and the apology spilled out of me. “Phoenix, I’m appalled with myself. I can’t believe you let me speak to you the way I did. All the while you were bleeding out from injuries you obtained because you sought answers on my behalf.”

“It’s my own fault for not providing you with the reassurance you needed in order to have sufficient faith in me. You were right in what you said, I haven’t been there for you since you moved into the castle.”

“Not physically, but I see now what you’ve done for me. I’m sorry I let my frustrations get the better of me.”

“You are entirely and wholeheartedly forgiven, mon ange.”

*

I returned my full focus to healing the king. Progress came slow, however, I could feel my efforts working as his wound transformed from red and fresh to pink and faded. His color also returned and his golden eyes possessed their usual sparkle once again. I sensed his strength returning when he began to stare at me as he had on many occasions before; with a need that stoked my own. A look that both thrilled… and worried me.

*

The intimacy of our situation suddenly became very apparent; my presence in his private chambers, in the middle of the night, with my hands on his bare chest. I attempted to act not the least bit affected by the present circumstances. “Do you mind?” I asked in annoyance. “Your gaze is exceptionally off-putting.”

“Is it? How so?”

“You look at me as though you are a hunter stalking its prey.”

“You think I see you as prey?” he replied, sounding almost offended.

“Your lust is written all over your face, now that your life is no longer in danger.”

“I think you have mistakenly perceived lust for what is actually desire.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Lust causes people to behave in a way that would satisfy their own needs. Desire encompasses the needs of both parties.”

“You think I need you?”

“I wouldn’t presume to make such assumptions. However, I have made my intentions clear, haven’t I? I want you. But more than that, I want you to want me. If you do not, then I respect your boundaries.”

“I… I can’t talk about this right now. I need to concentrate.” With a soft chuckle he replied, “You’re the one who brought it up.”

*

I examined his injury to find it nearly gone, but I could feel weakness remained due to the amount of blood he lost. At some point, the tingle in my fingertips had been replaced by the same gentle hum I experienced every time we made contact. And judging by the relaxed look on his face, the connection soothed us both. My energy reserve dwindled, but I would not let up until I knew he’d been completely healed. Still shaken by the state I’d found him in, I couldn’t leave until certain the danger had passed.

*

Desperate to fill the awkward silence, I searched my brain for something to say. I spared him a look and softly asked, “Have you always wanted to be king?” Phoenix laughed under his breath, before he replied, “No one has ever asked me that before.”

“Really?”

“No. I’ve been on the same path of most my life. The possibility I may have wanted anything different, never occurred to anyone.”

“Did you want something different?”

“What does it matter now? I am king.”

“It matters to me.”

“Very well.”

*

After Phoenix cleared his throat he admitted, “Up until I turned nine, I wanted to be a hunter.”

“What happened after you turned nine?” He avoided my eyes and didn’t answer. “Nic?”

“Let’s just say my destiny revealed itself to me and it was not in line with what I thought I wanted.”

“There you go again, being as vague as possible.”

“I will explain it better one day, little dove. I promise.” My eyes flittered briefly over his tattoo, but I couldn’t bring myself to inquire about it’s origin. I feared knowing.

*

“There’s at least one thing we have in common,” I said. With a single eyebrow raised in intrigue, he replied, “Do tell.”

“We both value trust. You want me to trust you and I want a reason to. How do you expect me to trust you when there is so much you don’t say? For instance; why did you choose me as your companion?”

“Why not you?”

“That’s not an answer, Nic.”

*

Phoenix moved his hand to my face, holding my jaw as his thumb stroked my cheek. Though my heart was in free fall, the rest of me felt tethered by his touch. It became impossible for me to pull away. I hadn’t felt so grounded since before my mom died. Despite the comfort of his touch, it worried me how much power the connection held, with a man I hardly knew.

*

“Because I was drawn to you,” he finally answered. “I chose you because I wanted to explore this… the pull between us. Can you honestly say you don’t feel it too?” I broke the hold his eyes had on mine, looking at the floor as I admitted, “I... I feel it too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note:

Chapter 27 coming Sunday, March 26.

Thanks for reading!!

~ E. K.