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My connection to my inner fire suddenly severed. The energy building between me and Rod flowed back to its original reservoirs. I tried to reengage with my core but something barred me. A solid wall of phoenix fire had taken hold around my essence.

I opened my eyes, and Rod’s stunned expression matched mine. We’d felt this blockage before.

Grandfather. He stood straighter now, some of his inner strength had returned. The glow in his eyes held a clarity he’d lacked for decades.

“I can’t let you sacrifice yourself, Cinaed,” he said in a steady voice that lacked the anger of recent memory. “You’ve suffered enough.”

“Grandfather, no.” I begged. “You’ll destroy everything.”

“No, my little firebird, I won’t let that happen either.” He smiled as he used the nickname he gave me as a teenager. “It shall be me who powers the spell.”

“You can’t,” Father said. “I would give my life to change fate, but I know in my heart I can’t.”

“I know you would, son.” Grandfather’s gaze met my father’s. “But where you can’t trade places with Cinaed, I can.”

My anger flared. After everything he’d put us through, why would he taunt us with something impossible? When he faced me, however, there was no deception or cruelty. The offer was genuine. He believed he could give us our lives back.

“That’s not possible,” Rod said wearily. “The spell requires?—”

“I know what the spell requires,” Grandfather interrupted. “Better than you.”

He stepped closer to us, the aftermath of Blackstone’s torture visible in every stiff movement. There was also the dignity and regal bearing I remembered from my childhood. This was the king I adored, not the bitter old phoenix he’d become.

“Cinaed, Roderick.” He stopped a few feet away as if unsure he was welcome. “I’m sorry for everything.”

I tensed, unsure I wanted to hear what he had to say.

The decades of pain and separation were too raw.

Part of me wanted to reject his apology outright, to hold onto the anger that had sustained me through our separation.

But if I only had minutes left, they needed to be happy.

I let go of my hurt and remembered the doting grandfather I’d loved.

“Adelais was a beautiful being who made gloomy days bright,” he began, his eyes seeing something that no longer existed. “Her sacrifice robbed the world of that light. It devastated all of us.”

I’d felt the same grief I heard in his voice. It was so raw and genuine, that it couldn’t be faked. He looked at me, really looked at me, in a way he hadn’t in decades.

“When you were born, I saw that light reborn. The little firebird to chase away the darkness.” His smile lasted for a second, and his expression clouded over. “I also saw your terrible fate. The world would once again require the best of us to sacrifice themselves to save the world.”

The ice around my heart melted. I’d tried to convince myself his actions came from a place of love, but always believed it was born of pride and prejudice. Too late I learned the truth.

“I loved you so much. Too much, perhaps.” His hands trembled.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.

The world didn’t deserve Adelais’s sacrifice, and it wouldn’t claim you as well.

I thought… I thought no mating would give us time to find a new solution.

My intention was never to cause such pain. But my heart?—”

He heaved out a breath and shook his head sadly. “My damaged heart made me vulnerable to dark influences.”

The explanation matched what we knew. Blackstone found an opening and turned the grandfather I remembered fondly into a cruel, implacable king. He poisoned and twisted Grandfather for his own selfish ends.

“I met Blackstone through Thomas Reid. Thomas became a close friend and confidant over the years.” He snorted, and regret etched into every line of his face. “I never suspected the manipulation because I believed myself so superior to a mere mage.”

Through our bond, I felt Rod’s compassion. His anger at Grandfather had melted away once we learned the truth. He understood the power dark magic had to corrupt. Rage filled me. Blackstone had twisted a good being for his foul scheme. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“But it was,” he said with conviction. “My bitterness and fear created the opening Blackstone exploited. I can’t change what I did, but I can give you the long, happy life you both deserve. It’s what Adelais would’ve wanted, what I want.”

“It’s not that simple,” Rod said gently. “You can’t swap with Cinaed just by willing it. As I told Prince Malachy, the energy has to come through our bond. No one else but Cinaed can do that.”

“I can,” he said confidently. “My magic is greater than my son’s, but more than that, as king, I’m connected to all phoenix-kind.

I used that connection to bar Cinaed from mating with you.

Now, I can use that same link to channel my energy into Cinaed.

It will be a lot, but not more than he can handle if you shape it into a new ward. ”

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Grandfather planned to give his life for mine. Not just mine, but Rod’s as well. As king, he’d accumulated far more strength than I possessed. It was so much that Rod wouldn’t need to give up his life force to ensure we had enough power.

Unfortunately, this was his guilt talking. Something that wasn’t justified given how Blackstone manipulated him. “No, Grandfather. This isn’t your task. You are the king. Phoenixes need you.”

“Oh, my little firebird.” Grandfather smiled—a real smile. This was the phoenix who taught me to fly and had delighted in my accomplishments. “You are so like Adelais. Despite everything I did, you still find it in your heart to forgive.”

I’d obviously never known Adelais, but I’d grown up hearing stories of her.

She was Grandfather’s cousin, and they’d been born days apart.

They were as close as siblings. Losing her would be like Gwyneth dying.

If I’d felt the beings she’d given her life to save were ungrateful, I could see my heart darkening like Grandfather’s.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” I said. “It wasn’t you, it was Blackstone.”

“Blackstone,” he said ruefully. “The magic Blackstone used has tainted my soul beyond what any regeneration can cure. The corruption will haunt me, drive me to madness in time. While I still have clarity of mind, I don’t want that future for me or my phoenixes. It also means I can save my firebird.”

When I was little, he’d call me firebird and I felt his love. The love was still there, but his eyes held a tired acceptance. Life would never be the same for him. This wasn’t about redemption or even forgiveness, it was about peace.

“There must be another way,” Father pleaded. “We can cure you.”

“There is no cure,” Grandfather said softly. “I’ve had days to reflect on the damage Blackstone inflicted on me. He meant to destroy me one way or the other. If I can save Cinaed, at least I won’t die in vain.”

I saw the conflict on Father’s face. One of us had to die. “Thank you, Grandfather, but while you live, there is hope. This is my fate, not yours.”

“Your fate isn’t to die, Cinaed, it’s to save the world,” he said. “You can do that with my energy.”

There was a strained silence in the cavern. How did you choose which family member had to die? His fire was suddenly hotter.

“Besides,” Grandfather said. “It’s too late. I’ve already begun the process, and unlike me, neither of you can stop it now.”

The subtle glow from his skin backed his words. His life force was gathering.

“No—” My father’s voice broke.

“Malachy,” Grandfather turned. “With your compassion and kind heart, you will be a great king. Take my gift and rule as I know you can.”

Father couldn’t speak. Tears streamed down his face as he nodded.

Grandfather turned back to me, his eyes filled with a sorrow so deep it took my breath away. “I am so sorry, firebird. For everything. I hope you and Roderick live the long, happy life you deserve. And perhaps, one day, you can forgive me for the pain I caused.”

My anger and resentment had crumbled once we learned what Blackstone had done. “There is nothing to forgive, but if it eases your heart, we already have.”

He opened his arms, and Father and I moved into his embrace. I pulled Rod in, and for a moment, we stood there as a family united in grief and love. When he released us, his eyes held a clarity missing all these years.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as a complex tapestry of love, grief, forgiveness, and gratitude threatened to overwhelm me. How could I compress a lifetime of feelings into these final moments?

“I love you,” I whispered. “I always have, even when I was angriest.”

Grandfather’s amber eyes met mine, and for the first time since his capture, he looked truly at peace. “Live well, my firebird. Live for us both.”

“Thank you,” I managed through my tears. “For the greatest gift anyone could ever give.”

Grandfather smiled and nodded. “Contact your brothers,” he said to Rod. “I can’t contain the release for long.”

Rod nodded. Through our bond, I felt the others still there, waiting with desolate hearts. They were ready to mourn our passing as they anchored the spell to save the world.

The glow around Grandfather intensified, his body turning into pure energy. Rod prepared us to accept and channel the immense power we were about to receive.

The moment before his transformation, Grandfather looked younger, the centuries of burden lifted from his features. He’d truly found peace.

Then his body burst into golden flames.