Page 58 of Enchanting Her Monsters
There’s a blood-curdling scream.
It’s me. I’m screaming. Tears leak from my eyes, and they evaporate with the heat of my flames.
Am I dying? It feels like I’m dying again.
My bones ache and snap. It’s a familiar feeling that I never thought I’d feel again.
I launch into the air, wings spread, talons out, my beak snaps at the pain.
As Arran goes slack in shock, Jade stumbles out of his arms.
“Calder!” she cries, taking a step closer as she stares up at me in wonder.
I’m overcome with emotions that I haven’t been able to deal with yet.
I dive toward her…
20
BURNING UP
JADE
Holy firebirds. Calder is a magnificent, giant flaming phoenix. His bird form’s wingspan is at least twenty feet. I feel the heat on my exposed skin as he flaps his wings, hovering over our heads by thirty feet. His flames scorch the high ceiling just above him.
He glances around, as if looking for a way to escape through a window. Except the windows are all too small for him to clear, even if he broke through the panes.
“He appears out of his senses,”Osen says.
Fearful he’ll fly off and lose himself, I stumble forward and out of Arran’s muscular arms. “Calder!” I plead for him to come down and return to us.
His piercing blue eyes watch me as if I’m prey. I can’t say it’s the same Calder I know behind these eyes. Even Arran’s berserker still has more of him than this creature has of the man I’ve come to know. I sense Osen agrees with me.
The phoenix dives straight at me.
Shit. Is he attacking?
Flint is on top of me in an instant, moving faster than a gargoyle should be able to move with their bulky mass. I’m pinned to the floor. He curls around me the best he can with his body and wings, covering and protecting me from Calder.
He turns to stone just as I feel Calder crash into Flint’s back.
Flames swirl around us.
I bury my face into Flint’s stone chest in an attempt to avoid being cooked alive.
Blazing heat brushes over my back, but I don’t feel the searing pain of being injured. More like standing in rays of a summer sun too long.
Shouts and sounds of scuffling feet surround me. I dare to peek beyond the safety of Flint’s massive arms.
Calder is unconscious on the floor next to me in his human form. His flames are gone, yet his wings remain, but they’re contorted in a mangled way.
My heart pinches. Are they broken?
Maxum and Arran are standing over him, their chests heaving with exertion.
Arran’s face glints with sweat. His shirt is torn to shreds, and his skin is burned.
“Fuck!” I scream, as if I’m wounded. He must be blocking the pain from traveling through in our bond. “Flint, turn back! I need to get to Arran.”
