Dying in Flames by M. Sinclair

1

Maya

Fear.

I’d experienced it so often in my life, I should have been numb to it, or at least used to it. There had been times where it had consumed everything, and sometimes I expected that way of life to crawl back out from where I’d boxed it away. That was a different Maya…a different woman who was far more scared and cautious than I was now. I used to be afraid of so much.

I used to fear that my mother and Pastor Malcolm would just never show up again and I would be left to perish in that dark, horrible basement cellar.

I used to fear that I wouldn’t ever be given food again, their starvation techniques pushing my body to the point that my stomach ached and my head pounded in protest.

I feared knowing my mother would show up to punish me, and I feared even more not knowing when she would show up to punish me.

But the main fear that always stood out to me, even in my memories? The pure dread I felt looking into Pastor Malcolm’s gaze, knowing instinctively that he wanted to harm me.

Except this time, meeting his gaze from feet away, I realized I didn’t feel fear. Not fear for myself, at least. Maybe for those around me, knowing this needed to be handled with the utmost care… But more than anything, more than any level of terror, I felt anger. So much anger that it was nearly overwhelming.

Every single time that I began to find a small sliver of peace, this man ripped it away and shattered my small hope that my life could be normal. When I had first found my mates, he had shown up demanding that I go home with him after my own mother and Jed had killed me.

Then, after finally edging into some sense of normality, he had lured me to the edge of a cliff and all but forced me to jump, probably so I’d shift.

Now, after so many revelations and the freeing realization that my only family didn’t consist of a mother who had all but tortured me my entire childhood and a man that was trying to use me for his coven…Pastor Malcolm was back again. Back to take it all away from me.

I was done. I was absolutely done.

“I told you I was coming to take you home.”

The words still rang in my ears seconds later, but the panic that had been threatening to emerge was superseded by the animal inside of me who demanded that I be brave. Who demanded that I remember I was surrounded by not only my mates, but a group of young dragon shifters that would be in a dangerous position if we didn’t handle this correctly.

I couldn’t let them down. I wouldn’t let any of them down.

Pastor Malcolm was my problem, and I wanted him solved.

I’d known something was wrong before we’d even stepped out of the portal and were assaulted by sights and sounds that didn’t match the dragon council building we should’ve arrived in. Instead, cold, icy water from the ocean sprayed on our backs, making me know we were feet from a cliff’s edge. Ahead of us was a thick line of pine trees that served as a natural barrier out of here, lined with what I now knew to be Pastor Malcolm’s coven. The same group of magic users that had encircled us in a spelled circle of flames that I had to assume was dangerous to the touch.

The fire didn’t scare me, though. Instead, I immediately focused on just how many precautions he was taking to ensure we were trapped…because he was scared. The realization that the man who haunted my nightmares was scared of my mates and me caused me to feel a surge of confidence in myself and our ability to get out of this situation.

I narrowed my eyes at the tall, skinny, pale man that had caused me so much pain. So much suffering…and realized I didn’t feel bad for him, or his level of fear. So, for the first time ever, I allowed myself to revel in his discomfort, every second of it, for all of the pain he’d caused me. I felt a calm come over me as my phoenix let out a small sound from my throat that had all my mates tensing. I knew it was her way of communicating with their dragons, but it still surprised me.

“Baby girl,” Marco warned as I stepped through and past Henry and him, their fingers grazing my skin as if they didn’t want to let go. I honestly didn’t want them to, but I also enjoyed the way Pastor Malcolm practically jolted back at my sudden move forward. Above, the sky cracked with lightning and then rumbled with thunder, a storm rolling in from over the ocean as the flames from the witches’ circle grew higher. I could see the uneasy looks they were exchanging, and it made me curious what they hoped to accomplish.

I had many reasons to be scared of Pastor Malcolm, but my mates? I knew they were stronger than him. The man was conniving and cruel, able to trick and trap people easily, but to take such a blunt stand? It didn’t seem in his nature, and it had me knowing that he felt uncertain about how to handle this. He wasn’t the only one, though, and I continued to take a moment to assess the situation, wanting to make sure there was a way to keep my mates safe.

One of the most prominent things that stood out to me, still, was that Larry, one of the dragon council members, was tied to a tree near the forest line and surrounded by witches. He was completely unconscious, and unlike Anna, clearly an unwilling captive. She must have used his powers to aid in opening and changing the direction of the portal… but why?

“Anna?” I looked at her instead of Pastor Malcolm. “Why?”

“None of your fucking business,” she growled, her tone tight and tense.

I tilted my head in confusion. “Is this how you knew so much about my past? How long have you been working with him? I promise you, Anna, no matter what he has promised, he’s not a good man—” My words caught in my throat, unable to contain the slight tremble in my voice.

I couldn’t deny that her actions hurt. I knew she had never liked me, but this seemed like a betrayal on a far deeper level. And for what? What stake did she have in this game that I had no interest in playing?

Anna didn’t answer at all this time, her eyes darkening on me as she turned her gaze back to Pastor Malcolm. The man was staring at me with a malicious smile as he seemed to be waiting for me to make some type of move, like a cat toying with a mouse.

What he didn’t realize? I was well aware that we had the upper hand when it came to actual power.

I would have loved to say I could face Malcolm alone and be able to beat him, and maybe I did physically have that ability, but emotionally this man had been one of the single reasons I had been traumatized for years on end. Sure, my so-called mother had administered a lot of the beatings, but he had ordered her to. I didn’t trust myself to not give in to the panic that I naturally felt while he was around.

But with my mates here? Right by my side? I wasn’t afraid. I trusted them completely. Trusted them to take care of this situation, the younger dragons, Bella, and myself.

Plus, while surprising, I hadn’t missed my dads’ comments on how dangerous Marco and his flight were. It was a suspicion I’d already had, but instead of being afraid of that, I found it comforting.

“Why are you doing this?” I questioned, my voice echoing through the space.

Marco’s dragon produced a rumble from his chest, and I had a feeling it was because of all the attention placed on my words. I could feel my mates spreading out behind us, moving to the perimeter of the circle of fire, while keeping the younger dragons safely in the center. I knew they could shift in this amount of space, but it would be tight… Although, as I looked up, I realized that with the exception of Bella, all of us could fly. Fly right out of here into safety.

As if knowing my thoughts, Pastor Malcolm sneered. “Those flames are part of a warding spell that is a dome around you. There is no getting out.”

“You intend to just keep us here?” Marco suddenly sounded amused. I looked at my mate, who despite being tense, didn’t look nearly as worried as before. “How do you plan on transferring us without putting yourself in danger? Surely you don’t think this can hold us for long? Witch magic isn’t exactly made for battle.”

“I’m starting to think Malcolm didn’t think this through,” Henry mused.

I was glad they seemed so secure in what was going on, but I could sense the fear coming off the younger shifters, and it made me feel extremely uncomfortable and guilty. We were supposed to be helping them, and instead we had portalled them right into this absolute disaster.

“Shut up!” Malcolm hissed. I noticed that he had the same look on his face that Becky’s face had back in school, nearly frenzied. Maybe he really did think this was a good idea, but Marco wasn’t wrong. Where did we go from here? What exactly did he have planned for us? Maybe I could make him see enough reason to let down these walls so we could get the heck out of here.

“You didn’t answer my question.” I focused on Pastor Malcolm, trying to keep his attention.

“You know why!” His eyes flashed with anger as he pointed a finger towards me, the slight tremble visibly obvious to me, even from here. “You have a purpose, Maya. You have always had a fucking purpose. My coven needs you, and if you won’t come willingly, I will take you by force, even if it means hurting your mates in the process. Especially if it means that.”

His words caused Atlas to chuckle, but not with the happy laughter I loved, the one that made my toes curl. No, this one had all the hairs on my arm standing straight up. I noticed Anna staring at him with abject fear, causing Sai to let out a frustrated sound, shaking his head.

I looked around at my mates, noticing how calm they were, including the twins, only to realize…they’d clearly done this before. Not this exact situation, but it was all too clear to me that this wasn’t the first bad situation they’d been placed in. I wasn’t positive how I felt about them having been in that much danger.

“Is that what this is really about, Anna?” Henry’s voice was cruel, sharp, and amused. It was such an odd mix, almost patronizing, and it had Anna stepping back and letting out a growl. I was confused only for a moment before realizing Henry had read her mind.

“Screw you,” Anna bit out. I felt Marco’s hand run up my back in a gentle, comforting action that had me taking a deep, even breath.

“Yes, I am gathering that is exactly what you think this will bring you,” Henry growled, his face one of disgust. “Even if we’d never met Maya, you still would not be an option or a blip on our goddamn radar.”

Anna’s eyes filled with fury as I connected the dots, and my mouth popped open in realization. Wait, was he serious? Was that what this was really about?

“You’re doing this because you like them?!” I demanded.

“It was my right to mate with them!” she bit out, her breathing harsh and uneven. “I am a council member. I am one of the most powerful women in the realm, and then you came along and took all of that. Took everything we could have been.”

“You were never supposed to be our mate,” Anani said incredulously. “You made one pass at Marco two years ago, and he rejected you so completely that you didn’t show your face at another event for a year.”

Good. Oops, that was mean.

I crossed my arms, feeling an uncomfortable sensation in my stomach at the idea of her attention being on my mates. “First of all, it isn’t your right to mate with them. Even if they didn’t have a mate, you don’t get to decide that, Anna.”

Her face darkened. “Do not start acting like you’re better than me. You are a fucking phoenix. You only serve one purpose as it is, the only reason those men even want you.”

I refuted her insinuation immediately. “That’s a lie.”

Pastor Malcolm’s voice boomed. “Enough—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Sai snapped, his dragon pacing under his skin. I noticed briefly that he was the closest to the edge of the flames, his hand moving over them briefly, a slight twitch of pain crossing his expression before pulling his hand away. I don’t think anyone else noticed it, but it let me know that the barrier was all too real and seemingly painful to interact with. That wasn’t good.

“Why would you go to this extent?” I asked Anna, knowing that there was something more to this.

Anna’s cheeks turned almost purple. “You have no idea. You’re a little girl, so you don’t understand what being with them means. You have no idea the power—”

“Actually, she does.” Ledger sounded way too amused.

Croy’s voice was bold as it came up behind me. “Maya isn’t a normal ph—”

“I get it, she’s fucking special!” Anna hissed.

“Not just special, but not a normal phoenix.” Atlas chuckled. “She’s a Blue Phoenix.”

Anna went silent, staring at him before looking at me, realization dawning in her gaze. “That’s impossible… She would have to be…”

“The long-lost daughter of Queen Cyra?” I asked.

“Liar.” Anna’s face turned ashen as she stumbled back.

“Nope.” Henry offered her a smile, looking joyful. “You are taking a stand against the crown itself.”

The woman began to look around for an escape, her breathing panicked. “I need to go—”

Her words were cut off by Pastor Malcolm’s “No!”

Anna shook her head, looking horrified. “I can’t help you.”

“You can’t escape what you’ve done,” Ledger added happily.

Anna was gone in a flash, leaving Larry tied up and Pastor Malcolm looking furious. Almost immediately, with the absence of her magic, the flames completely died out. So it hadn’t been fueled by witch magic—that explained why it had been so powerful. I couldn’t help but smile a tiny bit at how Pastor Malcolm took a step back, the witches around him murmuring.

“We should go,” I pointed out to my mates.

“No can do.” Sai shook his head, his eyes on fire.

I frowned and motioned to the flames. “But we can leave now.”

“We can…” Marco hesitated before tilting my chin up, “but we don’t want to. I want this ended, but more than that, I want him to realize that he needs to stay the fuck away from our mate.”

“Fucking cunt!” Malcolm roared at Anna’s absence. He snapped back, looking at us as I leaned into Marco. “No matter, I will handle this myself.”

Even I knew that was a bad idea.

His magic suddenly lashed out, the other witches adding to it, as it came towards us in a wave that I easily deflected. My phoenix surrounded us in a protective gold shimmering barrier that had the power bouncing off and turning the surface into a mixture of blue, purple, and orange sparkles that would have been beautiful if it wasn’t protecting us from them.

“We should go,” I insisted again as I realized just how many witches were emerging from the pine-lined edge. I also briefly noticed that all of his coven members were male… Was that normal? It wouldn’t have surprised me, honestly—he had always talked poorly about women. Just one more reason to despise the man.

“Do you trust us?” Croy asked, coming up behind me and kissing the top of my head.

I smiled slightly. “That’s a ridiculous question. Of course I do.”

“Then trust us to do this,” Anani said.

“We can handle them,” Marco insisted quietly. “It wouldn’t be our first time dealing with witches.”

“I don’t want them hurt.” I nodded towards the younger flight, standing behind Atlas.

“So protective.” His smile was warm as Bella meowed softly from his shoulder, looking like a bold little warrior, still covered in black sparkles from his shadow magic. Honestly, the two of them were adorable together, and it had me feeling a rush of emotions that I didn’t have time to process fully.

Mainly, the ones revolving around Atlas—actually, any of my mates—and how they would be when we had real babies. Not that Bella wasn’t our baby, but the concept of being pregnant and having their children made me feel flushed, a thrill of excitement going up my spine.

“Ten minutes.”

I snapped my head over to Henry, who looked so eager for this that I almost felt bad for disagreeing.

“For?”

“Finishing this.” He motioned to the massive amount of witches that continued to assault my barrier, draining my energy a bit.

“Really?” I asked in surprise.

“Pull your barrier back and keep it around the young ones,” Croy instructed. I nodded and took Bella from Atlas and stepped back, curious to see if they could truly handle these witches in ten minutes. If they did, I would be way more than impressed.

As I turned to walk back towards the younger flight, Malcolm yelled my name, causing me to snap around right as I was blasted in the chest with a surge of power. The scent of earth invaded my lungs, and water seemed to rush over my ears as everything blacked out for a moment.

I was falling, and hands caught me as Bella’s meow sounded distressed, causing my phoenix to release a sound at my panic. A massive roar broke out that sent warmth through every part of my body, and my magic, despite my eyes staying closed, blasted out to protect those around me.

Malcolm may have hurt me, but he wasn’t going to hurt anyone else ever again.