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“Father, I know how much you love me, but you’re too close to see the truth.

” I took his hands gently from my shoulders and clasped them.

“Grandfather’s heart isn’t guided by love for me or anyone else anymore.

He’s not the same phoenix who doted on his grandchildren.

He’s been poisoned by anger and resentment.

Ask Mother, your siblings, or your other children if you doubt me. ”

I watched his face hoping for a sign he was listening.

“If you can’t see the truth, you will aid in my death.

Those aren’t the words of a bitter child.

I love you as deeply as you have loved me, and I say that to save you from the self-recrimination you will feel the rest of your life when I’m gone. ”

He shut his eyelids tightly, and his skin grew warmer in my grasp. My words challenged two pillars of his life. The choice between loyalty to his father and king, or the love for his child. Sadly, he couldn’t remain true to both, and whichever he rejected would haunt him.

I squeezed gently to prevent him from instinctively shifting. “I’m sorry. After Grandfather rejects the mage delegation’s proposal, I won’t make you choose between which duty you value most.”

“No, you won’t.” When he opened his eyes, there was a clarity he’d lacked before. “My choice was made the day you were born. I’ll do everything I can to save you, but for now, this conversation must stay between us. Not even your mother should know what was said here.”

My nose tingled, and I sniffed loudly. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Always, my beautiful boy. Always.” He kissed my forehead like he had when I was a boy. “You should regenerate before the delegation arrives. You’re fading. Each time I see you, your fire burns a little dimmer.”

“I’m fine,” I said, but the lie tasted like ashes.

“No, you’re not,” he said sternly. “Renew your spirit. You will need all your strength for what is coming.”

He forced a smile, gathered his rose petals, and walked out of the garden.

I considered his words and saw no downside to doing as he suggested. The garden’s perpetual warmth wrapped around me as I undressed and folded my clothes with careful precision. Even in the depths of a Scottish winter, Mother’s magic held the cold at bay, protecting her beloved roses.

My fingers lingered on the fabric of the shirt Roderick had chosen for me in London. The memory of that day brought both comfort and pain—like most memories of him did these days. I saw his gentle smile as he held the shirt up to see how it paired with my fair skin and red hair.

Father was right about my dimming fire. I’d delayed this regeneration longer than wisdom suggested and let my stubbornness override good sense. The resulting malaise had made me irritable toward my father.

I placed the last of my clothes on the bench as the first tremor of transformation shuddered through my core. I’d never experienced an involuntary death, but I was told it wasn’t pleasant. Not that voluntarily dying was enjoyable, but it was easily managed.

Closing my eyes, I reached for the eternal spark central to all phoenixes. It flared like I’d never experienced before, which was another sign I’d waited too long.

Father’s promise to fight for me echoed in my mind as I surrendered to the fire. It erupted from my center, racing along pathways worn smooth by experience. Pushing Roderick’s image into my mind, I let the flames consume my body.

A quick burst of pain was all that marked the severing of my connection to my body and soul. I drifted in a peaceful expanse of white. Had I lingered, I could’ve shaped this resting world to my will. It would be an illusion, but there were times I thought I’d be okay with the daydream.

Today wasn’t one of those times.

Embracing the pull that led to my rebirth, I willingly left the tranquil setting.

Awareness returned gradually, each sense reactivating in careful sequence.

First, I felt the touch of ash against newly formed feathers.

Sound filtered in next. The soft call of birds taking refuge in the garden’s warmth.

I followed the scent of rose petals and ash to full awareness.

It was a routine I’d followed since my first renewal.

I stood on wobbly legs, shedding any remaining ashes with a brisk shake. My body hummed with fresh strength. Gone was the hint of sluggishness that plagued me in recent days.

Renewal also sharpened my magical senses. The complex magic my mother wove to maintain this pocket of spring sang to me in clear notes. The next time the warning came, I hoped my heightened senses would help me ascertain its origin.

My copper and gold wings unfurled, sparkling in the winter sunlight. I stretched them to their full span and yielded to the urge to test my renewed strength.

Raising my wings, I launched myself skyward. Steam surrounded me as the heat from my fiery form clashed with the frosty winter air.

Below me, my ancestral home grew smaller with every beat.

From up high, the patchwork of ancient stone and newer additions stood out in a way it didn’t when I saw it from the ground.

The protective wards surrounding our home shimmered like heat waves in winter air.

Somewhere in the magical web lay the spell banning Roderick and me from joining.

Its presence felt slightly less oppressive after Father’s promise.

I banked sharply, riding a frigid wind current higher. Flight was the purest expression of a phoenix’s nature. It granted me freedom of movement without the constraints of family and political obligations.

My wings caught another updraft, carrying me in a wide arc around the grounds as I considered Father’s warning.

Grandfather suspected the Hollens would try to break his spell during this visit.

He wasn’t wrong. Roderick and I would find a way to complete our bond.

We would not, however, do it under his oppressive thumb.

If the king didn’t lift the ban, I would leave with Roderick and renounce my flock. It was the most drastic thing a being could do, but even a flock paled before a mate bond. No matter how much I longed to be part of my family, I knew in my soul Roderick’s love was stronger.

The warning pain from earlier echoed in my memory as I glided over a frozen loch.

My renewed senses were sharper and more attuned to the wrongness I’d felt.

Whatever was coming was connected to my family, but not the spell meant to keep me from my mate.

I didn’t understand how I knew this, but I was certain.

I spiraled higher, extending the joy of the moment. My flight soothed the anxiety in my soul, but it was only temporary. I couldn’t escape the problems I faced. Reluctantly, I tucked my wings and plunged toward the garden.

As a kid I’d routinely engaged in such reckless flying, secure in the knowledge I wouldn’t die.

Most phoenixes eschewed such raucous behavior and chose to follow the king’s more reserved demeanor.

My wild personality, something he encouraged when I was younger, had made him suspicious when he changed.

No doubt this was the reason Grandfather watched me closer than my siblings.

The frozen ground rushed to meet me, and for a split second, I contemplated experiencing what it felt like to die. I might have followed through except it would cause enormous damage to the flowers.

I pulled up before I reached the heated air and executed a wide circle to slow my descent. Still, it had been one last thrill before the weight of duty returned.

Landing near my clothes, my talons dug into the gravel path.

Shifting was less dramatic than regeneration.

The fire rippled through me, reshaping rather than destroying.

I let the process flow naturally until I stood on human feet again.

My skin tingled in the air, which, while warm, was almost cold compared to my fire.

The renewal had done its work. My inner flame burned bright and steady. When I appeared before the king again, I’d do it with strength and conviction.

I dressed and considered how to handle my grandfather’s refusal to change his mind. He hadn’t put me under guard, but it was possible he would once Roderick arrived. Despite these concerns, my steps were lighter as I headed back to the castle. For the first time in weeks, I felt truly myself again.

Roderick and I would find a way forward. Even the king couldn’t stop fate.