Page 18 of Magic Unleashed

"Out of the way," Griff barked, pushing past them as Phoenix continued to squirm and protest.

He reached the front room, a spacious parlor with high ceilings and elaborate decor, and set her down none too gently on her feet. He’d known he needed to be in a room other than her bedroom. He needed a room where they could have some privacy without the temptation of her big four-poster bed staring him in the face. With one hand, he slid the pocket doors shut, sealing them both inside and locking out her meddling sisters and aunt.

Phoenix glared at him, breathless and flushed. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe," Griff growled, stepping closer, his chest rising and falling with barely contained frustration. "I’m tired of you running. We need to talk."

Phoenix crossed her arms, her anger palpable, but she waved her hands in a quick, graceful gesture. "Fine. I just sealed the doors with magic. My family won't be able to eavesdrop."

Griff's jaw clenched, but he nodded. At least that was one distraction gone.

She huffed and turned away from him, pacing across the room. "This... thing between us, Griff, it’s not going to workthe way you think it will. We’re on the verge of a disaster with Fontaine, the cult, the dark magic. I can’t be distracted."

"Distracted?" Griff’s voice was dangerously low. "You think that's what this is?"

Phoenix stopped, turning to face him, her eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and something deeper, something that mirrored his own confusion. "What else do you want me to say? You know as well as I do that we can't afford to get tangled up in this right now."

Griff took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "We’re already tangled, Phoenix. And running from it isn’t going to change that."

She held his gaze for a long moment, the tension between them crackling like static in the air. Finally, Phoenix exhaled, the fight seeming to drain out of her. "What do you want, Griff?"

"I want us to stop fighting each other and start fighting the real threat." His voice softened, though the intensity in his gaze didn’t waver. "You and I—we're stronger as a team. I can help you with this. We can help each other."

Phoenix’s eyes studied his face, searching, he was sure, for any hint of subterfuge. When she found none, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "An alliance, then? You really think that’s going to work?"

Griff shrugged, stepping closer. "You provide insight into the demonic and fae threats. I give you access to the police resources I have. If we have to, we can coordinate through Geneva. Wait, maybe we shouldn’t involve her. This is going to be dangerous.”

Phoenix snorted. “Like me, Geneva teethed on danger. Much as you may not like my Aunt Maeve, she raised us to be tough, strong, and able to take care of ourselves. She never wanted us to have to rely on anyone. We were brought up knowing our destinies. When each of us accepted our copy of the Grimm files, we acknowledged and accepted that fact.”

“Can those files offer some insight into what’s going on?” asked Griff.

Phoenix shook her head as a wry smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Sometimes, but it’s never that simple. It would be so much easier if they just contained a picture and description of the demons Charlotte fought—something like here’s what it looks like and here’s how you kill it, but instead, it’s all about reading between the lines.”

“Yeah, subtly is not your strong suit,” chuckled Griff. “I’m no ancient tome about how to fight demons and other magical creatures, but we can work together to take down Fontaine and put an end to whatever the hell he's got planned."

For a moment, Phoenix didn’t respond. She just stared at him, the weight of the decision hanging between them. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Fine. An alliance—an uneasy one but an alliance."

Griff’s lips quirked into a small smile, the tension between them shifting ever so slightly. "I can live with uneasy."

The decision made, they both felt the shift, as if a line had been drawn and crossed. But even as the tension between them eased, Griff couldn’t help the frustration that lingered just beneath the surface. Phoenix was still a mystery, still holding back, and it gnawed at him. He wanted more than just an alliance with her, he wanted all the things he’d never allowed himself to even dream.

As they delved deeper into the investigation over the next few days, working side by side, that frustration only grew. Phoenix was brilliant, no question about it. She had an uncanny ability to sense patterns, to understand the nuances of the magic at play in a way Griff couldn’t. But she was secretive—guarded. Every time they uncovered something new, she’d give him just enough information to keep him in the loop but never the full picture.

It was driving him mad.

They tracked down leads, piecing together bits of information that linked Fontaine to multiple demonic summonings across the city. Phoenix recognized the magic in the symbols, the patterns in the attacks, and between them, they were able to piece together that Fontaine had been involved in various unsanctioned rituals, though none could be directly tied to him. It was corruption at a level they hadn’t anticipated—deep-rooted and widespread.

One afternoon, after a long day of chasing down leads, they found themselves back at Griff’s shotgun cottage in Algiers Point. The weight of their discoveries was pressing down on Phoenix—he could see it in the tension in her body. Phoenix sat on the couch; her legs tucked beneath her as she scanned the documents spread out on the coffee table. Griff leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her, his arms crossed.

"We're getting close," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "Fontaine is summoning demons, but I think it’s a lot bigger than we thought. There are more players involved, more connections. It’s almost like?—"

"Like he’s not the one pulling the strings," Griff finished for her, his voice grim.

Phoenix glanced up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Exactly. But who’s backing him?"

"That’s what we need to figure out," Griff said, pushing away from the counter and moving to sit beside her on the couch. He picked up one of the papers, his brow furrowing as he scanned the text. "If Fontaine’s working with someone more powerful, we’re going to need more than just your magic and my badge to take them down."

Phoenix nodded; her expression serious. "Agreed. We need allies. People we can trust."

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